Walleye fishing on Lake Oahe has been very good for anglers. The different areas of the lake offers some fine catches and with the right bait, anglers can catch the daily limit. Since walleye is known as the state fish of South Dakota, you get the idea that it must be the best place to catch walleye. Some of the techniques used to catch a walleye on Lake Oahe are trolling and casting. When using live bait, you will want to have slip bobbers, lindy rigs, bottom bouncers and jigs. Crankbaits will be used for trolling with lead core line as will casting.



Fishing in Lake Oahe is the best in the country many anglers will tell you. This big reservoir has some nice sized walleyes with many trophy fish being taken from different areas on the lake. The over abundance of bait fish, underwater structures and miles of beautiful shoreline is perfect for walleye living and breeding as well as fishing. It really does not matter if you use a crankbiat or pitch jigs, you are going to hook that walleye. One particular place to fish is by Pierre in South Dakota.

Most anglers prefer the month of April right after the ice breaks away. They like to use jigs tipped with minnows, light weight jigs are ideal. During the warmer month of June, they use a night crawler, bottom bouncer and a hook to fish the middle section of Lake Oahe. When the weather starts getting hotter, the fish move into the deeper waters where anglers are using a lead core line to get more depth with bottom bouncers and a spinner. Later in the fall months, the anglers use crankbaits. Another area of Lake Oahe that seems to be picking up over the years is the Gettysburg area. The prior years were a little sad for walleye fishing, but the fishing is picking up.

The peak months for Lake Oahe fishing are June and July, with May and June being the best times for the upper regions. You have Pierre in the lower section and Mobridge in the upper section. Because of the abundance of shad, the walleye have a good feeding ground all over the lake. During the spring when the snow starts to melt, the shorelines become flooded and walleye can be found in these areas spawning, which is a good time to fish the shorelines in the upper and middle sections of the lake.

There are many outfitters and resorts along the Lake Oahe shorelines that have some nice rates for walleye fishing with a guide. This is nice for anglers not familiar with the area or do not have a boat to haul along. The local fishing reports for the lake are put out by the DNR and give some good places to fish for the upcoming year. This is nice to check from time to time when planning a fishing trip to South Dakota. It seems that the man made lake is always going to be a place to fish for walleye. They have a four fish limit with one fish being of twenty inches or more.