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SD MISSOURI RIVER FISHING/HUNTING REPORT July 6, 2015

Provided by: South Dakota Missouri River Tourism


SD MISSOURI RIVER FISHING/HUNTING REPORT – July 6, 2015

Provided by: South Dakota Missouri River Tourism    

 

Fishing Update for

 The Missouri River in South Dakota

 

The weather this week is looking great! Grab some friends and family and get out on the river. The fish are biting, and it’s time to catch some!

 

REMINDER: Check out the Game, Fish & Parks web site for detailed info on the new regulations designed to prevent movement of invasive species. You can trailer to fish cleaning stations nearest the boat ramp, but after that new regulations call for draining live wells and boats.

 

We suggest you call one of our members listed at the end of the report – they can be very helpful with what is happening along the river. That way you’ll be assured of a great trip!

Like us on Facebook – for up-to-date reports from our businesses and the area.

Lake Oahe

In the Pollock area fishing is good using bottom bouncers with spinners and some using crawlers and leeches. Depth is anywhere from 5-20 feet and fishing is really picking up with the warm weather. 

 Mobridge fishing is steady. It’s really widespread, with no particular place being better than another. Anglers are fishing in the 5-25 foot depths with bottom bouncers, spinners, and crawlers. Walleye and crappie are both being caught in these areas.  

At  Akaska the water is warming up and fish are biting! Limits are starting to come in. Fish that are being caught are in 5-15 feet using jigs and minnows, bottom bouncers with minnows or some using crawlers and leeches. You need to keep moving until you find the fish – but they are there!

At  Gettysburg  fish are really biting all up and down the river. Limits are coming in. Anglers are catching walleye in 5-25 feet using bottom bouncers and spinners, minnows, crawlers and leeches. Some anglers are starting to use artificial bait

Around Spring Creek / Cow Creek  and the Oahe Dam the water temp is coming up with the warmer weather. The bite on Oahe is good.  Average depths are 10-20 feet, with most presentations and baits working. Smallmouth bass are biting and they are a good size!  Also the white bass are in full swing too. 

 

Lake Sharpe

Fishing on Lake Sharpe east of Pierre and Fort Pierre all the way down to West Bend is going well with walleye limits coming in. The 15 inch limit is off for the months of July and August, making catching a limit easier. Anglers from Joe Creek down seem to be doing the best. Catfish, northern, crappie, and smallmouth continue to be bonus fish for many anglers. Just about any presentation/bait is working right now. The walleye depth is anywhere from 10-28 feet and 5-15 for smallmouth bass. Fishing in the Tailrace at the Oahe Dam is good when water is being released. The white bass fishing is going really well in all areas, with large fish being caught!

Lake Francis Case 

 Around Chamberlain , fishing is great – summer is here! With the rising water the bite is in the shallow water. The fish also seem to be more aggressive. More anglers are starting to use night crawlers and leeches, others are using bottom bouncers with minnows and some are pulling plugs – seems to be whatever the anglers prefer right now. Pitching to the bluffs has been good. The depth most anglers are fishing at is 5-18 feet with the water temperature right now is around 64. You have to sort to get limits, but there are a large number of fish being caught. A hint: You don’t need to fish by other boats to catch fish! They are just about anywhere. You just need to take the time to look and find them. 

In the Platte area fishing is really picking up and the points seem to be the best chance for fish.  Bait is jig and minnow or crawlers and leeches in 5-15 feet. Some anglers are pulling plugs. And, you will have to sort to get limits. Smallmouth bass are going well here also. 

At the Pickstown - Wagner – Lake Andes  shore fishing is good below the Fort Randall Dam. A lot of little ones, but they are catching fish. Fishing is excellent on Francis Case!  Early morning hours and evening hours seem to be the most successful times to fish right now. Most anglers are leaning more towards crawlers and leeches. Limits are coming in. Working the points seems to do well and in Pease and Spring Creek areas. Fish are being caught in the bays, on the points and on the flats – just about anywhere. They are also catching all kinds of Bass along with the walleye and anglers are pulling in some big catfish. For those interested in wildlife – there is a dead tree in the back of Pease Creek and this year there are seven blue heron nests! There have also been some sightings of either coyotes or wolves in the area, so boaters might see some predators during their trip. 

On the Missouri River around Yankton fishing is going well with anglers catching walleye, catfish, and northern below the dam. Boat fishermen are catching walleye, catfish and northern using jigs and minnows, crawlers or leeches in the fast water. 

*Please remember that the fishing conditions on the Missouri River change constantly and this report is simply a guideline – a snapshot in time.*

For more information and up-to-the-minute reports on fishing Lake Oahe, please call West Pollock Resort, 605-889-2448; Kemnitz MoRest Motel in Mobridge at 605-845-3668. At Akaska call Akaska Bait Shop at 605-649-7847. Call Bob’s Resort at 605-765-2500 or South Whitlock Resort at 605-765-9762 in Gettysburg. On Oahe and Sharpe call Hutch’s Guide Service at 605-22404755. On Lake Francis Case, contact Dakota Prairie Guide Service at 605-680-1910 or Platte Chamber of Commerce at 888-297-8175 and Circle H Motel in Lake Andes at 605-487-7652.