Yes, you can bring your own boat to Lake Oahe — and the follow-boat option makes it smarter. For $100 on top of the trip rate, your boat tags along with Wade’s: you fish your own equipment on the same spots, while a guide who’s run this water since 1988 keeps you on the fish and off the stumps.
Some anglers love their own boat too much to leave it home — understandable. But Lake Oahe is not a lake you want to learn by trial and error. Here’s how the follow-boat option works, and why even experienced boaters use it their first time here.
What is the follow-boat option?
Simple: you bring your boat, and it follows Wade’s through the day. He runs the water, finds the fish, and calls the spots; your crew fishes from your own boat with your own gear. It costs an extra $100 on top of the regular trip rate — see the full rate card — and it effectively doubles how many people can fish the same bite, since the boat limit on a guided trip is four anglers.
Why not just fish Lake Oahe on your own?
Because this reservoir punishes guesswork. It’s about 140 miles long, the fish move with the seasons, and under the surface there’s a drowned river system full of standing timber and stumps that don’t show up until they’re a repair bill. Wade has seen this water at its highest and its lowest — he knows where the flats are, where the trees are, and where not to run. Following him is the difference between a day of fishing and a day of searching.
What about the wind?
Wind is the real boss on Lake Oahe. It’s big, open water, and afternoon blows are routine — some days trips start an hour early just to beat it. A local guide always knows a hill to tuck behind and a protected route home; a visiting boater often doesn’t find out about either until it’s rough. On a follow-boat day, when Wade moves, you move — and that includes moving to safe water.
What should your boat have for Lake Oahe?
Standard big-water sense applies: sound motor, working bilge, life jackets for everyone, and enough fuel for long runs — distances here are bigger than they look on the map. Bring your own tackle and bait for your boat (that part’s on you in a follow-boat setup), plus the same personal list from the packing guide — licenses included, for every angler in your boat.
Who is the follow-boat option best for?
Groups of five to eight who won’t fit in one boat, anglers who want to learn the lake in their own rig before fishing it solo, and locals-to-be who just bought a boat and want a shortcut up the learning curve. More than a few follow-boat clients say the same thing after: they’d have needed three trips to find what one day of following taught them.
Key takeaways
- Follow-boat = your boat, your gear, Wade’s spots and navigation — for +$100.
- Lake Oahe hides standing timber and stumps — local knowledge protects your hull.
- Wind rules the lake — a guide always knows the protected water and the safe route home.
- Great for groups of 5–8 that outgrow one boat.
- Every angler in your boat still needs a South Dakota license.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the follow-boat option cost?
An extra $100 on top of the regular guided trip rate. Your group fishes from your boat while Wade guides from his.
Is Lake Oahe dangerous for boats?
It demands respect — submerged timber, stumps, and fast-building wind are the main hazards. Following a guide who knows the water removes most of the risk.
Can a big group split between two boats?
Yes — that’s the classic follow-boat setup. Four anglers fish in Wade’s boat and the rest follow in yours, everyone fishing the same schools.
Bring the boat. Skip the guesswork.
Call or text Wade — 605-848-0809Keep planning: the full rates & booking page, what’s included on the guide service, and where the fish move by season.