South Dakota Fishing Report
2026 Reports
South Dakota fishing reports for Missouri River and Lake Thompson
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| Oct 4, '26 | It was a cast and blast kind of day with two local friends using slip bobbers with minnows in 10' of water near some rocks catching perch on a pond lake near Madison SD |
| Sept 27, '26 | It was a fun outing today with old friend Nate, missing a few and catching tonight's supper on perch and white bass, fishing a lake pond near Madison SD slip bobbers and minnows in 10' of water |
| Sept 13, '26 | Had a fun afternoon fishing with good friend Jim, near Madison SD for perch in 8' of water with bobbers and minnows getting our limit of perch in 2 hours |
| Sept 2, '26 | Went out after lunch and it was nonstop action on the perch bite in 7.5' of water with bobbers and minnows, north of Madison SD |
| Aug 31, '26 | On Lake Sharpe, fishing the lower Brule area we found our 8 walleye off of a sunken island that split the channel in 18'-20' of water with Lindy rigs and plain hook snell leader with a crawler or minnow, tagging per or small mouth bass as bonus fish |
| Aug 23, '26 | Had a fun couple of hours this afternoon fishing with slip bobbers and minnows on perch, filling out in a couple hours, the action was nonstop near Madison SD |
| August 15 | Was up on Big Stone Lake, with a father and son, fishing a hot bite on perch and 1 lb bluegill spotlocked in 8'-11' of water |
| August 11 | Had a fun day with two guys from Nebraska, fishing Big Stone Lake almost filling out on perch and 1 lb gills |
| August 5 | Was with a father and son on a hot walleye morning bite finishing out by noon with our limit. I was marking walleye in 16'-18', fishing a break on a sunken island on Lake Sharpe |
| Aug 4 | Fishing the lower Brule area on Lake Sharpe, we got our 3 man limit of walleye, concentrating in 16'-18' bringing in a few smallmouth bass as bonus fish, using Lindy rigs with Mac blades. |
| July 25 | Fishing Big Stone lake with a family of 4, we caught perch and bluegill in 9'-11' using bobbers and crawlers |
| July 15 | Had a fun 2 days fishing with father and son on Lakes Oahe and Sharpe, catching our limit of walleye early before the heat took over the day, 18'-22' of water |
| June 27 | Today I went catfishing with a buddy on the James River, launching in Huron SD, traveling up a few miles up north by boat anchoring on a bend in 7.5' of water casting treble hooks with stink bait, we came in with a 2 man limit - a day I'll never forget |
| June 25 | good friend and I limited out on perch fishing a pond with slip bobbers and minnows in 7' of water. released many white bass that day. |
| June 18 and 19 | had a fun 2 days fishing Lake Oahe with a couple from ND, filling out on our 3 man limit by noon before high winds taking over. Catching our walleye in 15' with a Lindy rig, plain hook and piece of crawler. |
| June 15 and 16 | Fishing Lake Oahe 2 days we had our limits by noon both days fishing in 15' of water, with Lindy rig, plain hook and piece of crawler. Walleye class on Oahe is 16-20" with plenty of overs to be had. |
| June 13 | Fishing Lake Oahe with father and son in 15' of water, working a point in the back of a bay with Lindy rigs, hook and crawler or jigs. We had 3 overs that day. |
| June 7 | I was on Lake Thompson with a couple from Nebraska, fishing a sunken creek channel that feeds into the basin of the lake, catching nice post-spawn female and male walleye in 6'-8'. We did find a couple nice crappie to go with our limit of walleye. |
| June 4 an 5 | as on Lake Thompson with father and son, pulling ma blades at 1.8 mph in 7'-9' catching some really nice big pike in the process, with a handful of crappie and white bass. Our biggest walleye that day came in at 27" |
| May 25 | Was with a local good friends, hammering nice crappie on a lake near Madison SD in 6'-7' near some weed beds. Bobbers and minnows. |
| May 24 | Down in southeastern part of state, caught limit of crappie in 5' of water outside of some weed beds - slip bobbers and minnows |
| May 15-19 | My wife and I had a wonderful time catching nice black crappie, 10-12 inchers in 6' of water near a creek channel |
| May 10 | A good buddy and I drove up to Watertown, catching nice walleye and saugeye ranging from 17-25" in 8-10' pulling Mac blades on a Lindy rig going 1.8 mph |
| May 2 and May 8 | Both outings the southeast corner of SD in Hutchinson County, catching nice 10-11" crappie in some timber using slip bobbers and minnows |
| March 30 | Fished lake Thompson on the pre-spawn bite catching really nice males 18-21 inches in 6-8' of water |
| March 29 | Father and son with me on Lake Francis case on the Missouri River, fishing in 14-16' catching our limit of walleye on jigs and Lindy rigs with minnows |
| March 9 | good buddy and I drove to Fort Thompson and launched on Francis Case, we got our 8 walleye pitching jigs and a Lindy rig in 14-16' of water |
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