This past week brought both a taste of summer, and a reminder of reality! Temperatures in the 80s, high sun, and calm winds brought anglers from across the state and the region to the water the past several days. Following a handful of feels like summer days, a strong cold front brought snow showers and cooler temperatures to remind us we’re still in mid-March!
While the weather still may be making up its mind as it what season we’re in, one thing we’re certain of is open water season is here! Boat docks have been placed along the Missouri River, fish are biting, and we even have our first YouTube video of the season! All of that and more in this week’s fishing report!
Where is the Best Bite Right Now?
Lake Francis Case, particularly in the Chamberlain area, is known for having a great spring bite and the consensus among anglers is that it is indeed the best bite right now! Reports continue to come in from the Chamberlain area, and all of them are that the fishing is very, very good!
Both jigging and trolling crankbaits can be productive this time of year on Lake Francis Case, but the best report right now is focused on the jigging bite! Both dragging and pitching jigs with minnows is producing fish, and this is indeed the best bite on the Missouri River right now.
There are a variety of ways to target walleye on Lake Francis Case, and you can find them all in The Complete Guide to Fishing on Lake Francis Case!
What’s the Fishing Report for Lake Sharpe?
Reports from anglers on Lake Sharpe have been that the fishing is tough, but there are still fish to be caught! This was the theme of this week’s highlight, Finding Finicky Spring Walleye on the Missouri River.
The stilling basin has been a popular location for anglers, but less popular for walleyes. Anglers targeting the stilling basin are reporting a very tough bite. Anglers that are catching fish are finding the best success with jigs and minnows.
Similarly, anglers targeting the bridges and Marions Gardens areas are reporting the same. Jigs and minnows are the top option for this area, and anglers that target the mornings and evenings have had the best success. The more current, the better the bite is on these areas.
Further downriver, the Fort George area has also been popular. In this area, anglers are both jigging and trolling crankbaits and finding success. Fish are quite scattered across these large areas, making for a bit more sporadic fishing.
Trolling crankbaits has proven to be an effective way to target these scattered fish. The best baits have been blue #5 Rapala Shad Raps, as these balsa baits have done well coaxing more neutral fish into biting. The best depths have been 9-10 feet adjacent to deeper water.
What Boat Ramps Have Docks Placed?
It’s been a busy couple weeks for boat docks to be placed, and the vast majority of boat ramps on the Missouri River have been placed! While boat docks on the upper end of Lake Oahe still need to be placed, as well as protected areas like Downs Marina, there is plenty of access for the Missouri River!
Lake Oahe Docks
- Spring Creek Recreation Area
- Cow Creek Recreation Area
- Lighthouse Point
- East Shore Lakeside Use Area
- West Shore Lakeside Use Area
Lake Sharpe Docks
- Oahe Downstream Recreation Area
- Fort Pierre City Boat Ramp
- Polo Field Boat Ramp in Farm Island Recreation Area
- Fort George Lakeside Use Area
- Farm Island Recreation Area/Hipple Lake
- Joe Creek Lakeside Use Area
- West Bend Recreation Area
Lake Francis Case Docks
- Big Bend Dam Left Tailrace Ramp
- Big Bend Dam Right Tailrace Boat Ramp
- American Creek Campground Boat Ramp
- Cedar Shore Resort Marina
- Snake Creek Recreation Area
- Platte Creek Recreation Area
- Pease Creek Recreation Area
- North Point Recreation Area
- Whetstone Bay Lakeside Use Area
- North Wheeler Recreation Area
- Star Valley (South Scalp Creek) Lakeside Use Area
Complete information regarding boat ramp statuses can be found on the Public Fishing Water Access Map, which is maintained by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.
Video of the Week: Finding Finicky Spring Walleye on the Missouri River
This year, the goal is to highlight more of the techniques and stories on the water, and the first video of the open water season does just that! Take a deep dive into locating these fish, and the fine details into making them bite!
