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Oahe Dam through Pierre to West Bend. Legendary tailrace walleye water, year-round. The river tops out around 35 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 35 ft. Bad River confluence (Fort Pierre) is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Bad River confluence (Fort Pierre) (15 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Oahe Dam tailrace (30 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 11 to 35 ft | dusk & night | Oahe Dam tailrace (30 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Oahe Dam tailrace (30 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 11 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 6.3): a current seam around 19 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.3) (19 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.3) (19 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 6.3) (19 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 6.3) (19 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 6.3): a current seam around 19 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Bad River confluence (Fort Pierre) (15 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.3) (19 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 6.3) (19 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 11 to 35 ft one. Start at Oahe Dam tailrace. It's a creek channel holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Bad River confluence (Fort Pierre) (15 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 2.6) (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Oahe Dam tailrace (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Oahe Dam tailrace (30 ft) |
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 35 ft. Oahe Dam tailrace is the standout, a dam tailrace at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for winter white bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Bad River confluence (Fort Pierre) (15 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.3) (19 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.3) (19 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Oahe Dam tailrace (30 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
In spring, sauger run shallow here, mostly 4 to 18 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 35 ft. Bad River confluence (Fort Pierre) is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for spring sauger. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Bad River confluence (Fort Pierre) (15 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Oahe Dam tailrace (30 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Oahe Dam tailrace (30 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | dusk | Oahe Dam tailrace (30 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Missouri River (Oahe Tailrace) also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Missouri River (Oahe Tailrace) carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Oahe Dam tailrace, about 30 ft down.
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 Missouri River (Oahe Tailrace) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official South Dakota fishing regulations →
Missouri River (Oahe Tailrace) is about 35 ft (11 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 walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, channel catfish, white bass, sauger, common carp on Missouri River (Oahe Tailrace).
Bad River confluence (Fort Pierre) is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Missouri River (Oahe Tailrace) 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.
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See how Missouri River (Oahe Tailrace) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in South Dakota · best walleye lakes in South Dakota · best white bass lakes in South Dakota · best sauger 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.