Why Lake Oahe
A 140-mile reservoir most folks have never heard of — and one of the country's premier walleye fisheries.
Lake Oahe is a roughly 140-mile reservoir on the Missouri River at Mobridge, South Dakota. It's big, uncrowded, and loaded with structure — river channels, bays, flats, and feeder rivers — which makes it one of the premier walleye fisheries in the region.
One word comes to mind: massive
The lot can be full of trailers and you'll still get on the water and hardly see a boat — there are that many places to fish. Above the water you see the beauty of the hills; below it there's a whole world of river channels, big bays, and flats. Even on a windy day, you can always find a hill to tuck behind.
Where do the walleye go through the season?
They're seasonal. Early spring, fish drop down from the Missouri near Bismarck after the spawn and stack up on the north end near the state line. As summer goes on, we follow them down the reservoir — by fall they've worked toward the Highway 212 bridge. Feeder rivers like the Grand, the Moreau, and the Cheyenne act like fish factories at different times of year. For the month-by-month breakdown, see Wade's guide to the best time of year to fish walleye on Lake Oahe.
Why hire a guide instead of bringing my own boat?
Local knowledge. Wade has seen this reservoir at its highest and lowest, knows the seasonal migrations, the flats, the trees, and the dangerous stumps to avoid. He can navigate the river in the wind and always knows where to get out of it. That's the difference between a long day and a good one. Curious what that costs? Here's the full breakdown of what a Lake Oahe fishing guide costs and what's included.
What's there to do in Mobridge?
It's a friendly, homegrown town that looks forward to summer visitors. Check out the Klein Museum (including photos of the river before it became a reservoir), the Grand River Casino across the river, one of only two outdoor drive-in theaters in South Dakota, several restaurants, two grocery stores, and Main Street boutique shopping.
How do I get to Mobridge?
You can drive in, or fly. The Mobridge airport handles most any size plane — Wade has picked clients up right at the airport and gone straight to fishing. Regional airports include Bismarck, Aberdeen, and Pierre.
A whole fishery
Smallmouth bass
One of the best-kept secrets on the reservoir — a strong, scrappy fishery once the walleye are in the box.
Northern pike
Some absolute giants — a few you can't even get in the net.
Catfish
Plenty around, and not bad table fare at all.