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Missouri River (SD)

Fishing spots, fishing reports, and regulations in

South Dakota, United States

4.4·1490 catches

Top fish species at Missouri River (SD)

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Missouri River (SD) fishing reports

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Smallmouth bass

length · weight

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Freshwater drum

length · weight

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Paddlefish

length · weight

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Walleye

10 in · 5 oz

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Paddlefish

44 in · 60 lb

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Smallmouth bass

length · weight

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General info

Missouri River (SD) is a stream located in Stanley County, South Dakota, United States. It is also intersecting with Woodbury County, Iowa, Emmons County, North Dakota, Boyd County, Nebraska, and Bon Homme County, South Dakota. It is most popular for fishing Smallmouth bass, Freshwater drum, and Paddlefish.

Location

44°14′11.4″N 99°54′3.8″W
Directions

Amenities

Fishing regulations at Missouri River (SD), SD

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in South Dakota can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Regulations for top species

Season open: year-round
Smallmouth bass

Smallmouth bass

Regulation boundarySouth Dakota State Waters
Bag limit5

The maximum number of individual fish legally harvested per harvester per day. Bag limits are only for properly licensed anglers actively harvesting the species. People who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a license is required) may NOT be counted for the purpose of bag limits.

Aggregate limit5

The maximum number of individual fish across an aggregate group of species legally harvested per harvester per day.

Restrictions & requirements

SD Felt Soles

External felt sole footwear including boots and waders may not be used in the waters of South Dakota. This type of waders or boots can be a pathway for transmission of aquatic invasive species as the absorbent felt material can trap sediment and organic material which may include didymo (rock snot) cells, disease spores or invertebrate larvae.

SD Game Fish

Game fish includes all species belonging to the paddlefish, salmon/trout (including splake, lake trout, lake herring and whitefish), sturgeon, pike, catfish (including bullheads), sunfish (including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and crappies), perch (including walleye and sauger) and bass families (including white bass). Season dates, limits and restrictions are established for all game fish. The season is closed for all sturgeon species in SD inland and border waters.

SD Snagging

Intentional snagging of fish is prohibited, except for paddlefish and salmon during established seasons. Foul-hooked fish may be kept as part of the legal limit. Foul-hooked fish are those inadvertently snagged in body areas other than the mouth with conventional lures by anglers using normal fishing methods. Foul-hooked paddlefish may only be kept by anglers with paddlefish permits during the established paddlefish seasons.

SD Landing Aids

Landing nets, gaffs, and similar devices may be used to land fish, which are in the process of being caught by legal methods. Gaffs and other penetrating devices cannot be used to land snagged paddlefish.

SD Bait

The following fish species and their cleanings may not be used as bait in hook and line fishing: common carp, goldfish, gamefish, aquatic invasive fish.Anglers may not import live baitfish into South Dakota. It is illegal to empty receptacles containing bait into public waters. Bait may not be transported in water taken from a lake, pond, stream, or river. Species that may be used as bait by lawful anglers are: bullhead, lake herring, fathead minnow, white sucker, creek chub, flathead chub, western silvery minnow, plains minnow, golden shiner, emerald shiner, spottail shiner, gizzard shad, sunfish of the genus Lepomis (green sunfish, pumpkinseed, orange-spotted sunfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, Lepomis sunfish hybrids), tiger salamander (all subspecies), leopard frog (all subspecies), crayfish (all native species), freshwater shrimp and leeches. Live gizzard shad may not be transported away from the water in which they were taken. Bullhead and sunfish of the genus Lepomis (green sunfish, pumpkinseed, orange-spotted sunfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, Lepomis sunfish hybrids) may be used as bait by licensed anglers when taken by legal hook and line. Lake herring may be used as bait by licensed anglers when taken by hook and line, seines, lift nets, cast nets, and dip nets.

SD Hook and Line

A line is defined as a length of string or cord to which a hook or artificial lure is attached for the purpose of catching fish. Two lines may be used for open-water fishing whereas four lines may be used for fishing through the ice. Only two lines may be used in the South Dakota-Minnesota Border Waters year-round. A line may have three hooks per line year-round, including the South Dakota-Minnesota Border Waters. Only one end of each line may be equipped with hooks. An artificial lure constitutes one hook, regardless of the number of gang hooks attached. A legal bow and arrow, legal crossbow, legal spear, or legal speargun is to be counted as one line when anglers are using multiple lines.

SD Attended Lines

Each line used must be under the direct supervision and within the unaided observation of the legal user at all times.

Additional information
Possession limit is 10See here for site specific regulations
Synonyms
Micropterus dolomieui
Season open: year-round
Paddlefish

Paddlefish

Regulation boundarySouth Dakota State Waters
Restrictions & requirements

SD Felt Soles

External felt sole footwear including boots and waders may not be used in the waters of South Dakota. This type of waders or boots can be a pathway for transmission of aquatic invasive species as the absorbent felt material can trap sediment and organic material which may include didymo (rock snot) cells, disease spores or invertebrate larvae.

SD Game Fish

Game fish includes all species belonging to the paddlefish, salmon/trout (including splake, lake trout, lake herring and whitefish), sturgeon, pike, catfish (including bullheads), sunfish (including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and crappies), perch (including walleye and sauger) and bass families (including white bass). Season dates, limits and restrictions are established for all game fish. The season is closed for all sturgeon species in SD inland and border waters.

SD Snagging

Intentional snagging of fish is prohibited, except for paddlefish and salmon during established seasons. Foul-hooked fish may be kept as part of the legal limit. Foul-hooked fish are those inadvertently snagged in body areas other than the mouth with conventional lures by anglers using normal fishing methods. Foul-hooked paddlefish may only be kept by anglers with paddlefish permits during the established paddlefish seasons.

SD Landing Aids

Landing nets, gaffs, and similar devices may be used to land fish, which are in the process of being caught by legal methods. Gaffs and other penetrating devices cannot be used to land snagged paddlefish.

SD High Grading

High grading (culling) is the act of releasing fish that have been held in a livewell, on a stringer, or with other fish holding devices. High grading increases the likelihood of fish mortality due to extra fish handling and the presence of warm surface water in livewells and other fish holding devices. Anglers can help reduce unnecessary fish mortality by not high grading. Regulations restricting high grading do not prevent catch and release or selective harvest, but prohibit exchanging a fish held in possession with a recently-caught fish. High grading of Walleye is prohibited statewide, including border waters. High grading of all trout species is prohibited in the Black Hills Fish Management Area. 

SD Hook and Line

A line is defined as a length of string or cord to which a hook or artificial lure is attached for the purpose of catching fish. Two lines may be used for open-water fishing whereas four lines may be used for fishing through the ice. Only two lines may be used in the South Dakota-Minnesota Border Waters year-round. A line may have three hooks per line year-round, including the South Dakota-Minnesota Border Waters. Only one end of each line may be equipped with hooks. An artificial lure constitutes one hook, regardless of the number of gang hooks attached. A legal bow and arrow, legal crossbow, legal spear, or legal speargun is to be counted as one line when anglers are using multiple lines.

SD Attended Lines

Each line used must be under the direct supervision and within the unaided observation of the legal user at all times.

Additional information
Only available to catch by special permit.Season is closed in East River MN-SD Border Waters. Anglers interested in pursuing paddlefish have three options: a spring snagging and archery season on Lake Francis Case, a summer archery season, or a fall snagging season in the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam, near Yankton, SD. The fishery below Gavins Point Dam is managed jointly with the state of Nebraska. Anglers wishing to participate in these seasons must apply for a permit issued by lottery drawing. The application deadline for permits issued for the Lake Francis Case season is in February. The application deadline for permits issued for seasons below Gavins Point Dam is in April for the archery season and May for the snagging season.  LAKE FRANCIS CASE SNAGGING / ARCHERY Open Area: Lake Francis Case from Fort Randall Dam upstream to Big Bend Dam and in the White River from the mouth upstream to HWY 47 bridge. Season: May 1 - 31. Method: Snagging or hand-drawn bow and arrow or crossbow. Landing Aids: Landing nets and similar devices. No gaffs allowed. Season Limit: One per valid permit and tag. Size Restrictions: None. Daily Paddlefish Snagging/Archery Hours: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. Permit Fee: $25 residents (350 issued), nonresident permits will not be issued for this season.  GAVINS POINT DAM ARCHERY Open Area: Missouri River from Gavins Point Dam downstream to the mouth of the Big Sioux River (river mile 734). Season: June 1 - 30. Method: Hand-drawn bow and arrow or crossbow (crossbows may only be used downstream of the Highway 81 bridge). Landing Aids: Landing nets, gaffs, and similar devices. Season Limit: One per valid permit. Size Restrictions: None. Daily Paddlefish Archery Hours: Sunrise to sunset Permit Fee: $25 residents (255 issued), $25 nonresidents (20 issued).  GAVINS POINT DAM SNAGGING Open Area: Missouri River from Gavins Point Dam downstream to the mouth of the Big Sioux River (river mile 734) and on the Big Sioux River from the mouth upstream to the I-29 bridge. Season: Oct. 1 - 31. Method: Snagging. Landing Aids: Landing nets and similar devices. No gaffs allowed. Season Limit: One per valid permit. Size Restrictions: Any paddlefish taken measuring between 35"-45" inclusive, from front of the eye to the natural fork of the tail, must be immediately released to the water where it is caught. Daily Paddlefish Snagging Hours: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Permit Fee: $25 residents (1,550 issued), $25 nonresidents (50 issued).  See here for site specific regulations
Edibility
Very good
Synonyms
Polyodon spathula, Spoonbill
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Local laws and licenses

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Reviews of Missouri River (SD)

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FAQ about Missouri River (SD) fishing

📍 Where is the Missouri River (SD) located?
the Missouri River (SD) is a stream located in Stanley County, South Dakota, United States. It is also intersecting with Woodbury County, Iowa, Emmons County, North Dakota, Boyd County, Nebraska, and Bon Homme County, South Dakota. Its coordinates are:
44°14′11.4″N 99°54′3.8″W
.
🎣 Where on the Missouri River (SD) is it best to fish?
Find the best fishing spots on the Missouri River (SD) by looking at where other anglers have caught fish. This can easily be done in the where it is also possible to see big fish potential and how good fishing is right now along with Garmin® depth maps.
🐟 What species are in the Missouri River (SD)?
The most common species in the Missouri River (SD) are:
📢 What are the latest Missouri River (SD) fishing reports?
The latest Missouri River (SD) fishing reports are:
🪪 Do I need a fishing license to fish at the Missouri River (SD)?

Fishing in South Dakota requires a valid state fishing license for anglers. Resident and non-resident annual and short-term licenses are available online or from licensed agents statewide.

In South Dakota, no fishing license is required for anglers under 16 or residents 65 and older. A few other exceptions worth knowing:

  • Free fishing days — most states designate 1–2 weekends a year where anyone can fish without a license

  • Tribal waters — tribal members fishing on tribal land operate under separate tribal regulations

  • Private ponds — landowners fishing their own water typically don't need a license

Non-residents usually pay more for a license than residents. Some species also require an extra stamp or endorsement on top of your base license.

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