Lake Oahe north of Pierre, North Dakota, is one of the premier salmon fishing reservoirs in America’s Midwest. Formed by the damming of the Missouri River in 1959, Lake Oahe is the fourth largest artificial reservoir in the United States, stretching over 230 miles in length and running as deep as 205 feet. The lake draws fishermen by droves. All are eager to hook trophy fish of a wide variety, but many go there just for the salmon.
Varieties of Salmon
Wild salmon normally spend only their adolescent years in freshwater before migrating into the north Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Although the Missouri River provides a conduit to saltwater, the salmon of Lake Oahe cannot tolerate the muddy waters of the Mississippi River that would take them to the too warm waters of the Caribbean Sea. Only stocked Chinook salmon occupy the lake, and they are native to the North Pacific Ocean.
Salmon Fishing Techniques
The Chinook’s diet consists of amphipods -- 14-legged crustaceans, such as shrimp, crabs and lobsters -- aquatic and terrestrial insects in their young years and other fish when they reach adulthood, especially rainbow smelt. Flashy crank baits work well for large salmon, as they mimic injured fish. Spoons, plugs and flashers work as well for the same reason. You can use either casting or spinning reels for such lures, though many prefer fly-fishing. Chinook salmon seem drawn to the colors silver and chartreuse.
Where to Fish
In spring and summer months, the salmon in Lake Oahe tend to keep to deeper, cooler waters under the depth of 50 feet. Popular salmon fishing areas extend from the dam north to the Cheyenne River area. In autumn, the salmon move to shallower water to attempt to spawn. At such times, you can catch them from the shore with crank baits and spoons, or you may find them in the estuary creeks from the dam all the way to the North Dakota state line.
Cooking the Salmon You Catch
Baking is possibly the easiest way to cook a salmon, and you can infuse the fish with the flavor of your choice using herbs or marinade without basting. Grilling usually requires basting, especially when you flip the fish to prevent them from sticking to the grill. However, grilling over wood or charcoal adds a smoky flavor that is very appealing. While broiling is perhaps the quickest way to cook salmon, you have to be careful not to burn the fish while cooking, and basting the fish can be problematic.
Other South Dakota Fishing Opportunities
Lake Oahe boasts many other fun and tasty species of fish other than salmon, some of which can equal or even exceed the size of the Chinooks. Walleye are always popular to catch because they are great fighters for their size and the taste is incomparable. Northern pike, or Muskellunge, are a favorite fish because of the spectacular fight they provide. For those who prefer bass, you can catch both small mouth and white bass in the lake, as well as catfish, trout, crappie, pan fish such as bluegill, sauger — a close relative to the walleye — longnose gar and sturgeon.
Member Comments