Dave Gamet, our longtime guide, just returned from a fishing to the Missouri river near Pierre. They had good fishing for white bass, carp, pike, and smallmouth last weekend. Water temperatures were still a little bit cool when Dave was there, but as they warm up fishing will only get better.
White Bass activity was better where the water temps had gotten into the low 60’s.
Smallmouth were near rocky points and drop offs.
Carp were cruising the flats.
Top flies were woolly buggers, Clouser, minnows, Murdich minnows, flash drive minnows, and vanilla buggers. For pike try smaller EP minnows and Murdich minnows.
If you aren’t headed towards Pierre anytime soon, opportunities are improving around the Black Hills. Typically pike fishing in our Black Hills Reservoirs picks up around Memorial Day weekend. They are a little slower to get going in these reservoirs since they are at higher elevations and stay cooler longer. The boat traffic on the lakes will pick up this weekend, however there are still plenty of opportunities early and late in the day.
Bass fishing is heating up on prairie lakes in and around the Black Hills. For the best bass fishing in the Black Hills try Sheridan and Stockade Lakes. The best prairie lakes are old Wall and new Wall dams. Also check out the lakes on the grasslands near Wall. Our top flies for Black Hills area bass are Ehlers Grim Reaper. Barr's Meat Whistles, and frog patterns.