ATLAS › MIDWEST › SOUTH DAKOTA
Lake Sharpe
The Missouri River reservoir below Oahe Dam, one of South Dakota's most reliable walleye fisheries.
Depth & Structure
A riverine Missouri River reservoir below Oahe Dam: 56,884 acres, about 80 miles long, average depth roughly 30 ft and maximum depth 78 ft near Counselor Creek. Current-shaped structure dominates - main-channel drop-offs, current seams, flats and humps; the West Bend flats and the shallow 4-8 ft Hipple Lake oxbow at Farm Island are signature shallow areas.
Best Lures
Pitching jigs (light 1/8-3/16 oz class) is the most productive winter/spring/late-fall option, trolling shad-style crankbaits covers water in spring and again in late fall, and bottom bouncing dominates through summer and fall once vegetation grows.
Best Baits
Live bait is the core: minnows on pitched jigs, and crawlers on bottom bouncers - the top summer choice on the West Bend flats per a detailed Sharpe guide.
Gear to Bring
Medium-light spinning gear, 2500 size reel, 6-10 lb line for pitching jigs in current while keeping bottom contact and feel; trolling/bottom-bouncer gear for crankbaits and crawler rigs along channel edges.
Local Tips
["This is a numbers fishery of abundant 15-18 inch walleyes on a gizzard shad forage base - matching shad-profile crankbaits is the guide's stated key for trolling.", 'Summer night fishing shines: walleye slide back shallow (6-12 ft flats and rocky areas)…
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Related Water
Fish photos: walleye — Wikimedia Commons · smallmouth bass — Wikimedia Commons · white bass — Wikimedia Commons
Fishing regulations, seasons and limits change — always check the current rules for this water before you fish. Spot pins are approximate area markers, not launch or access coordinates.