The summer heat continues in full force, but there’s hot bites to be found too! The fishing on Lake Sharpe is heating back up, Lake Oahe continues to produce, and good bites are available on Lake Francis Case and across the Glacial Lakes region as well. All of that and more in this week’s fishing report!
Lake Sharpe
By the end of July, and into August, the stilling basin can begin to produce excellent fishing, and that fishing is underway! There is a very strong number of fish present in the area, and the fish are in outstanding condition.
An abundance of forage has fish well fed, which is producing fairly pronounced bite windows and patterns. Fish have easy meals, and are not actively feeding so dropping the bait directly in front of their nose is key for success. Once you have your depth dialed in, and can get the baits down to the fish, bites will often follow.
Emulating the gizzard shad is the best strategy. A #7 Berkley Flicker Shad is the best bait, and Blue Frost is a top color. Other good colors include Jester, as well as variations of purple. The Berkley Money Badger is also proving effective, particularly when fished near bottom.
Fish are continuing to work their way up the reservoir, and will continue to filter into both the stilling basin as well as the tailrace area. The cooler water, and ample forage, will entice fish into the area and will hold them throughout October and into November. Indeed, the bite on the upper end of Lake Sharpe is just beginning!
As fish continue to move into this area, another bite along the bridges in Pierre is beginning to take shape. Pitching jigs early in the morning is most effective, and anglers targeting the morning and evening hours are going to be most successful. Trolling crankbaits, particularly in the evenings, can also be effective.
Further downriver, fish will also be moving through the large flats below Farm Island and down towards Fort George and De Grey. Bottom bouncing these large flats is most effective, and this bite generally begins in early August and will continue through September and October.
The fishing was slow in the spring and early summer on Lake Sharpe, but the reservoir can produce a great late summer bite that gets even better throughout the fall and all signs are pointing towards this well underway!
Lake Oahe
Lake Oahe was on full display in the South Dakota Governor’s Cup, and by all accounts the good fishing is continuing throughout the reservoir.
Bottom bouncing has been productive for a good numbers bite, and trolling crankbaits has also been productive too. Fishing relatively shallow, between 5-15 feet, has been most productive especially on windy days. These fish are keying on primarily gizzard shad, which are using the shallower, warmer water.
Larger walleyes are holding out deeper, suspending off deep points and humps. Livescoping has been most effective for targeting these fish, but quality fish can be caught trolling crankbaits as well.
In August, a shallow bite can continue to develop as young of the year fish begin working their way out of large tributaries. Some of the best fishing in this area takes place in the Grand and Moreau River, as these newly hatched fish begin working their way out to deeper, cooler water.
Both trolling crankbaits and bottom bouncing can produce throughout this bite, and fishing adjacent to larger tributaries and main river elements is most effective.
Lake Francis Case
By all accounts the fishing on Lake Francis Case has been very good this year. Anglers are reporting the best year in recent memory, and this should continue throughout the end of the summer and into the fall.
Similar to Lake Sharpe, walleye will begin to move up river and can be found in the upper third of the reservoir by October. What makes Lake Francis Case unique is an annual fall drawdown, which will position both shad and walleye on deeper water structure as water levels drop.
Glacial Lakes Region
The fishing in northeast South Dakota has overall been very good throughout the summer. While larger waterbodies like Waubay Lake and Bitter Lake were slow to heat up, there are good numbers of walleye in both of these fisheries and they are beginning to bite for many.
Some of the best producing walleye lakes were North and South Rush Lakes and Hazeldon Lake. Recently, a new boat dock was installed in Hazeldon Lake making for much easier loading and launching. Antelope Lake, south of Webster, also has some high quality walleye in the system.
The bluegill fishing on Roy Lake has been outstanding, and there are quality smallmouth bass to be caught too. Big Stone Lake has offered probably the best bluegill fishing in the state, and of course there are other smaller waters producing as well.
Further south, Lake Whitewood and Lake Thompson have produced some of the best fishing closer to Brookings. Lake Poinsett and Lake Albert have also been productive, and waterbodies like Oakwood Lakes have recovered from winterkill a handful of years ago to produce good bites.
Hazeldon Lake and Clear Lake See Boat Ramp Improvements
Both Hazeldon Lake and Clear Lake in Hamlin County have seen boat ramp improvements courtesy of the Habitat Stamp, which will make for easier loading and unloading on both fisheries.
Masters Walleye Circuit Visitors Bitter Lake August 21-22
The Masters Walleye Circuit will visit Bitter Lake August 21-22.The fishing has been very good on Bitter Lake as of lately, and this bite should continue through the next month to set up for an exciting event!
