South Dakota’s Sept. 29 Missouri River sheet: Oahe salmon at 12–15 pounds, Francis Case turning on

South Dakota’s Missouri River reservoirs are splitting into a salmon week and a walleye week. Justin Cowart’s Sept. 29, 2026 fishing report on DRG News compiles notes from resorts and guides along the system.

On Lake Oahe, South Whitlock Resort near Gettysburg told the roundup the classic fall walleye bite is still a couple of weeks off, with a few fish over trees on plugs and jigging raps. The salmon run is picking up on crocodile spoons. Those fish are still silver, averaging 12–15 pounds, and the report says they can be caught from shore. Bob’s Resort called the area fairly slow, with bigger walleye in deep water and salmon just starting to show. Kevin Thibodeau of Oahe Salmon Guide Service said the salmon bite stayed consistent through cool, rainy days, not hot, with spoons and plugs picking up and fish in 60–80 feet. Farther up the lake, MoRest Motel in Mobridge called fishing super tough, with guides picking up a few fish in 30–40 feet on cranks, and Chad Schilling at Oahe Wings & Walleyes in Akaska said most days are a grind because of too much bait.

Lake Francis Case is the brighter walleye note. Joel Vasek of SD Outfitters Unlimited said the water is cooling, the fish are getting active, and large groups caught limits over the last week. Ed Pavel at Pavel’s Walleye Camp said the bite is picking back up, jig and minnow in the shallows and jerkbaits deeper. Mark Schofield at Lake Andes Inn called the lower river fair to good, with anglers still working for fish around a lot of bait. Above Fort Randall Dam he put walleye from wind-blown banks out to deeper structure, with crankbaits one of the better options in 25–45 feet. Around Bonesteel and Whetstone Bay, a jig and minnow around 20 feet was producing. Brian Bashore of The Walleye Guys, on the Yankton and Lewis & Clark stretch, said temperatures are in the low 70s to upper 60s and that the stronger fall bite usually builds toward mid-October.

The same report reminds anglers that the size limit on Lake Francis Case and Lake Sharpe has been in effect since Sept. 1, and it looks back at fall 2025 salmon eggs: 340 fish up the ladder, 439 more from boat electrofishing, about 1.2 million eggs collected in South Dakota, plus about 740,000 eggs from North Dakota. It says roughly one-third of collected eggs are expected to reach stocking size. Confirm the live GFP size limits and ramp map before you go. This is the Sept. 29 river roundup, separate from the paddlefish snagging season and the Pactola release note already on the desk.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: DRG News — SD Missouri River Fishing Report (Justin Cowart, Sept. 29, 2026).