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Dell Rapids through Sioux Falls: channel cats and walleye below the falls and low-head dams. The river tops out around 10 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 1,820 acres wrapped in 98.9 miles of bank. An index of 16.6 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 21.8 mi, about 9.3 mi across. Minnehaha County claims this one. Alvin Lake sits 16 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring channel catfish on Big Sioux River hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls) — inflow / creek mouth, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Falls of the Big Sioux (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Falls of the Big Sioux (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Falls of the Big Sioux (8 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls), an inflow / creek mouth in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls) (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & night | Lowhead weir tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 10 ft. Put Riffle & run (mile 11.8) first on the milk run — a rock pile near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 11.8) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 11.8) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 11.8) (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 16.2) (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 10 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 10 ft. Put Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls) first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls) (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 16.2) (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 16.2) (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 16.2) (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for freshwater drum tight to the bank in 3 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Falls of the Big Sioux: a creek channel around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is the evening. A jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls) (6 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Falls of the Big Sioux (8 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Falls of the Big Sioux (8 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Falls of the Big Sioux (8 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
When the water first warms, common carp slide up into 2 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls). It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls) (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Falls of the Big Sioux (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 30.1) (6 ft) |
The chart marks 30 structure features on Big Sioux River; the deepest is Lowhead weir tailrace at about 9 ft.
Access data: South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for South Dakota waters are set by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks — and special regulations can apply to Big Sioux River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official South Dakota fishing regulations →
Big Sioux River is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target channel catfish, walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, freshwater drum, common carp on Big Sioux River.
Skunk Creek confluence (Sioux Falls) is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For channel catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Big Sioux River is regulated by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Check the official South Dakota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Alvin Lake 16 mi · Wall Lake 17 mi · Hills Reservoir 18 mi, MN · Lake Pahoja 22 mi, IA · Brant Lake 23 mi · Split Rock Reservoir 23 mi, MN · South Mound Springs 25 mi, MN · Long Lake 25 mi · Herman Lake 33 mi · Rock Valley Pit 36 mi, IA · Swan Lake 37 mi · Campbell Lake 39 mi
See how Big Sioux River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in South Dakota · best walleye lakes in South Dakota · best northern pike lakes in South Dakota · best channel catfish lakes in South Dakota
Browse all South Dakota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.