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Fishing in South Dakota

1,439 public fishing lakes and rivers in South Dakota — Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Walleye, Bluegill and Black Crappie.

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See every public fishing venue in South Dakota on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.

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State
South Dakota
Country
USA
Venues
1,439
Licence
State-issued

Fishing in South Dakota

PiscaMaps covers 1,439 public fishing venues across South Dakota in 5 regions — 433 lakes and reservoirs and 1,004 rivers. The largest is Lake Oahe, at 309,912 acres. Missouri River is the longest mapped river, running 732 km. West River has the most venues on file, with 434. 123 venues are documented trout waters.

The most commonly recorded species across South Dakota's public waters are Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Walleye, Bluegill and Black Crappie — the exact mix varies by water type and region. 115 venues have a real boat ramp on file, 126 have nearby camping, and 193 have mapped parking — sourced from OpenStreetMap and recreation.gov's federal facilities database (RIDB) where available.

Fishing Regions in South Dakota

South Dakota's public fishing venues are spread across 5 regions on PiscaMaps:

West River · 434 Black Hills · 379 James River Valley · 248 Glacial Lakes & Northeast · 208 Southeast South Dakota · 168

Species Recorded in South Dakota

The most frequently recorded species across South Dakota's public venues on PiscaMaps:

Northern Pike · 1,305 Largemouth Bass · 1,184 Smallmouth Bass · 1,138 Channel Catfish · 1,082 Common Carp · 1,009 Walleye · 435 Bluegill · 419 Black Crappie · 295 Yellow Perch · 250 Crappie · 125

Fishing Licence in South Dakota

Anyone 16 or older needs a South Dakota fishing licence — the resident annual is about $28, the non-resident annual about $73, with non-resident 1-day (~$16) and 3-day licences also sold. No separate trout stamp is required — the standard licence covers Black Hills trout water. South Dakota residents 65 and older can buy a discounted senior combination licence, and anyone under 16 fishes free with a licensed adult. Buy from GFP at gfp.sd.gov. A South Dakota fishing licence covers this river where it is public. The Missouri River mainstem is fished on a South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa or North Dakota licence in the bordering reaches; check current reciprocity before crossing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Notable Lakes & Reservoirs in South Dakota

Rivers in South Dakota

Missouri River James River White River Big Sioux River Cheyenne River Moreau River Grand River Belle Fourche River Little White River Bad River

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