2026 regulation year
South Dakota Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
South Dakota runs a single-agency regulatory system through South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) covering all inland freshwater fisheries — South Dakota is a fully landlocked Northern Great Plains state (no saltwater authority needed) anchored by the four Missouri River main-stem USACE reservoirs (Lake Oahe / Lake Sharpe / Lake Francis Case / Lewis & Clark Lake) that together form one of the longest contiguous reservoir tiers in the United States, plus the cold-water Black Hills trout tier in the western SD highlands and the eastern SD glacial-prairie natural lake tier. SDGFP requires a Resident or Non-Resident Fishing Licence for anglers age 18+, plus a Habitat Stamp ($10 resident / $25 non-resident) for everyone 18+ buying an annual licence (1-day + youth licences exempt). Lake Oahe (370,000 acres on the Missouri River main stem behind Oahe Dam in Hughes / Stanley / Sully / Potter / Walworth / Campbell Counties SD + Corson / Dewey / Ziebach / Sioux Counties ND — USACE Omaha District 1962 — the country's FOURTH-LARGEST RESERVOIR BY SURFACE AREA, 231 miles long from the dam at Pierre upstream to the head of the lake at Bismarck ND, surpassed only by Lake Sakakawea ND + Fort Peck Lake MT among Missouri River main-stem reservoirs and Lake Mead NV/AZ in the entire country) is the singular SD marquee fishery — recurring Bassmaster Opens Central + MLF Toyota Series + premier walleye + smallmouth + northern pike + chinook salmon + sauger + paddlefish + Cisco fishery (lake trout in SD are a Black Hills fishery — Pactola Reservoir — not the Missouri reservoirs). SDGFP + USFWS Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery + Cleghorn Springs State Fish Hatchery chinook salmon stocking program since 1982 (~250,000 smolts annually) — Lake Oahe one of only a handful of inland US lakes with a viable Pacific salmon fishery (alongside Lake Sakakawea ND, the Great Lakes Pacific salmon program, and Pyramid Lake NV cutthroat) — mechanism rare: deep cold-water main-stem basin 200+ ft maximum depth + USFWS Gavins Point Hatchery + rainbow smelt forage base supports chinook to grow to 20-30 lb. SD state-record chinook salmon 31 lb 4 oz (Lake Oahe, 1991); SD state-record walleye 16 lb 2 oz (Lake Oahe, 1991); SD state-record northern pike 35 lb 0 oz (Lake Oahe, 1997); SD state-record smallmouth bass 7 lb 5 oz (Lake Oahe, 2008). The joint ND/SD reciprocal compact applies on the main stem boundary between Pollock SD + Solen ND — anglers fishing the Lake Oahe main stem may use ND or SD Fishing Licence on the open water. Lake Sharpe (80,000 acres on the Missouri River main stem behind Big Bend Dam in Hughes / Stanley / Lyman / Buffalo / Hyde Counties — USACE Omaha District Big Bend Dam 1966 — 80-mile reservoir from Pierre downstream to Big Bend Dam) carries trophy walleye + sauger + smallmouth + northern pike + channel + flathead catfish + paddlefish + Cisco — the Big Bend Dam tailwater + the Old Fort Thompson Hatchery + Sharpe's confluence-rich main stem produce one of the densest walleye fisheries in the four-reservoir tier. Lake Francis Case (102,000 acres on the Missouri River main stem behind Fort Randall Dam in Buffalo / Lyman / Brule / Charles Mix / Gregory Counties — USACE Omaha District Fort Randall Dam 1953 — 107-mile reservoir from Big Bend Dam tailwater downstream to Fort Randall Dam) carries trophy walleye + sauger + smallmouth + white bass + northern pike + paddlefish + Cisco — the Fort Randall Dam tailwater is one of the country's premier walleye + sauger spawning runs. Lewis & Clark Lake (31,400 acres on the Missouri River main stem behind Gavins Point Dam in Yankton County SD + Knox / Cedar Counties NE — USACE Omaha District Gavins Point Dam 1955 — 25-mile NE/SD boundary reservoir from Springfield SD downstream to Gavins Point Dam at Yankton SD / Crofton NE) is the southernmost of the Missouri main-stem reservoirs + the smallest by surface area + joint NE/SD boundary water (the Missouri River Boundary Compact governs the main stem reaches downstream of Gavins Point Dam). The Missouri River main stem (470-mile SD reach from the ND state line at Pollock SD to the NE/IA state line at Sioux City IA — including the four USACE reservoirs plus the free-flowing reaches at the head of Lake Oahe near Pollock, the Big Bend Dam tailwater near Fort Thompson, the Fort Randall Dam tailwater near Pickstown, and the Gavins Point Dam tailwater near Yankton + the 59-mile free-flowing Missouri National Recreational River reach below Gavins Point Dam) carries the bulk of SD's flagship walleye + sauger + paddlefish + catfish fishery. The Black Hills cold-water trout tier (Pactola Reservoir 800 acres on Rapid Creek USBR Pactola Dam 1956 + Sheridan Lake 383 acres on Spring Creek + Deerfield Reservoir 411 acres on Castle Creek + Stockade Lake + Sylvan Lake Custer State Park + Center Lake + Iron Creek Lake + Roubaix Lake — all in the Black Hills National Forest) supports stocked rainbow + brown + brook + lake trout — one of the only cold-water trout fisheries between the Bighorn Range WY and the Boundary Waters MN. SDGFP statewide standard: walleye + sauger combined 4 / day per angler statewide (only one 20 in or longer, 8 possession), with a 15-inch walleye minimum on Lake Sharpe + Lake Francis Case (Sept 1 – June 30 only; no minimum July – August) and on the Missouri River reaches below Fort Randall + Gavins Point dams — Lake Oahe + Lewis & Clark Lake carry no minimum (the statewide over-20 rule applies); northern pike 6 / day per angler no minimum statewide (12 possession); largemouth + smallmouth bass combined 5 / day per angler no statewide minimum (15-inch minimum on Lake Mitchell + Lake Yankton; 14–18-inch protected slot on New Wall Dam — there is no statewide or Missouri-reservoir bass minimum); perch 15 / day per angler no minimum (30 possession); crappie 15 / day per angler no minimum (30 possession); catfish 10 / day per angler in any combination of channel + blue + flathead (only 1 flathead 30 in or longer), no minimum on channel — NO daily limit on the Missouri River inland reaches; white bass no statewide daily limit (abundant / harvest-encouraged; 15 / day on the lower Missouri River below Fort Randall Dam); chinook salmon 5 / day per angler on Lake Oahe (part of the statewide combined trout + salmon + splake 5-fish limit); trout 5 / day per angler statewide (combined trout + salmon + splake; Black Hills streams allow only one trout 14 in or longer in the daily limit; Black Hills lake trout + splake 1 / day, 24-inch minimum); paddlefish (SDGFP Paddlefish Tag + snag-fishing season May 1 – 31 on Lake Francis Case + the White River, plus June archery + October snagging seasons below Gavins Point Dam). SDGFP stocks ~12 million walleye fry + fingerlings annually + ~250,000 chinook salmon smolts + ~750,000 rainbow + brown + brook trout + ~30 million sport fish across all life stages via the Cleghorn Springs (Rapid City — Black Hills trout) + Blue Dog Lake (Waubay — eastern SD warm-water) + McNenny (Spearfish — Black Hills trout) + Fort Thompson (Lake Sharpe — Missouri main stem) State Fish Hatcheries plus the USFWS Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery. Real fees (2026): $31 res annual fishing, $17 res senior 65+ annual, $43 res senior 65+ combination, $10 res 1-day, $60 res combination fishing + small game, free for residents under 18, $10 res 4-year Disability Card (disabled veteran 40%+ / POW — a reduced fee, not free); $80 NR annual fishing, $45 NR 3-day, $26 NR 1-day, free for non-residents under 18. A Habitat Stamp ($10 resident / $25 non-resident) is required of everyone 18+ buying an annual licence (1-day + youth licences exempt). Annual licences run from December 15 of the prior year through January 31 of the licence year. South Dakota also holds Free Fishing Weekend(s) when no licence is required for anyone, residents or non-residents.
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License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident annual fishing | $31.00 | |
| Resident annual combination fishing + small game | $60.00 | |
| Resident 1-day fishing | $10.00 | |
| Resident senior (65+) annual fishing | $17.00 | Reduced-fee senior annual fishing licence at age 65+ (not free) |
| Resident senior (65+) combination | $43.00 | Reduced-fee senior fishing + small game combination |
| Habitat Stamp (resident) | $10.00 | Required of everyone 18+ buying an annual licence; 1-day + youth licences exempt |
| Resident under 18 | Free | Not required for anglers under 18 |
| Resident disabled veteran / POW | $10.00 | $10 Disability Card good for 4 years (40%+ service-connected / VA 'K' award / POW) — replaces the fishing licence |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual fishing | $80.00 | |
| Non-resident 3-day fishing | $45.00 | |
| Non-resident 1-day fishing | $26.00 | |
| Habitat Stamp (non-resident) | $25.00 | Required of everyone 18+ buying an annual licence; 1-day + youth licences exempt |
| Non-resident under 18 | Free | Not required for anglers under 18 |
Buy directly from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP). Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| WalleyeCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; April – June Missouri River main-stem spawning run on Oahe + Sharpe + Francis Case is the densest fishing window | 4 / day combined walleye + sauger statewide (only one 20 in or longer; 8 possession); 15 in minimum on Lake Sharpe + Lake Francis Case (Sept 1 – June 30; no minimum July – August) | Statewide only one walleye 20 in or longer (no minimum length); 15 in min on Lake Sharpe + Lake Francis Case (Sept 1 – June 30) — Lake Oahe + Lewis & Clark carry no minimum |
| Smallmouth bassCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; March – May pre-spawn + spawn densest fishing window | 5 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) | No statewide minimum; 15 in min on Lake Mitchell + Lake Yankton; 14–18 in protected slot on New Wall Dam (no minimum on the Missouri River reservoirs) |
| Northern pikeCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; spring spawning run on Missouri River reservoirs + eastern SD natural lakes March – April + ice-fishing through frozen winters | 6 / day per angler statewide (12 possession) | No statewide minimum |
| Chinook salmonCompare across states → | Open year-round on Lake Oahe; spring spawning migration to Oahe Dam tailwater April – May; fall pre-spawn surface-trolling on main-lake thermocline August – October | 5 / day per angler on Lake Oahe | No statewide minimum on chinook salmon |
| Yellow perchCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; winter ice-fishing season December – March is the densest fishing window (SD classic ice-fishing target) | 15 / day per angler statewide | No statewide minimum |
| Channel catfishCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; May – September warm-water window densest; the lower James River below the reservoirs is SD's premier channel-cat water | 10 / day any combination of catfish (only one flathead 30 in or longer); NO daily limit on the Missouri River (one flathead 30 in+) | No statewide minimum on channel catfish |
| CrappieCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; April – May pre-spawn + spawn densest; December – March ice-fishing across the eastern Glacial Lakes Region | 15 / day combined black + white crappie per angler statewide | No statewide minimum |
| White bassCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; May – June spring spawning run on Lake Francis Case + the eastern glacial lakes densest | No statewide daily limit (abundant / harvest-encouraged); 15 / day on the lower Missouri River below Fort Randall Dam | No statewide minimum |
Notable water-body special regulations
Walleye + sauger combined 4 / day (only one 20 in or longer, 8 possession) — NO minimum length on Oahe (statewide rule); northern pike 6 / day no minimum; smallmouth bass 5 / day combined, no minimum; chinook salmon 5 / day no minimum (SD state-record chinook 31 lb 4 oz Lake Oahe 1991); paddlefish (SDGFP Free Paddlefish Tag); SD state-record walleye 16 lb 2 oz Lake Oahe 1991 + smallmouth 7 lb 5 oz Lake Oahe 2008; joint ND/SD reciprocal compact applies on main stem boundary between Pollock SD + Solen ND (anglers may use ND or SD Fishing Licence on Oahe main stem); recurring BASS Opens Central + MLF Toyota Series venue
Walleye + sauger combined 4 / day (only one 20 in or longer, 8 possession), 15 in walleye minimum Sept 1 – June 30 (NO minimum July – August); northern pike 6 / day no minimum; smallmouth bass 5 / day combined, no minimum; catfish (channel + blue + flathead) no daily limit (Missouri River reservoir; only 1 flathead 30 in or longer); white bass no daily limit; crappie 15 / day no minimum; paddlefish snag-fishing closed on Lake Sharpe; recurring BASS Opens Central + MLF Toyota Series venue + premier walleye fishery in the four-reservoir tier
Walleye + sauger combined 4 / day (only one 20 in or longer, 8 possession), 15 in walleye minimum Sept 1 – June 30 (NO minimum July – August); smallmouth bass 5 / day combined, no minimum; white bass no daily limit (classic Missouri reservoir white bass water above Fort Randall Dam); crappie 15 / day no minimum; northern pike 6 / day no minimum; catfish (channel + blue + flathead) no daily limit (only 1 flathead 30 in or longer); paddlefish (SDGFP Free Tag + snag-fishing season May 1 – 31 on Lake Francis Case + the White River up to the Hwy 47 bridge); Fort Randall Dam tailwater is one of country's premier walleye + sauger spring spawning runs
Joint NE/SD boundary water under Missouri River Boundary Compact (anglers may use NE or SD Fishing Licence on main stem); walleye + sauger combined 4 / day (only one 20 in or longer, 8 possession), follows the statewide rule (no 15 in minimum on the lake itself); smallmouth bass 5 / day combined, no minimum; northern pike 6 / day no minimum; paddlefish below Gavins Point Dam — June archery + October snagging seasons (SDGFP Tag); Gavins Point Dam tailwater is the southernmost of the four-reservoir tier
Includes the four USACE reservoirs (Oahe + Sharpe + Francis Case + Lewis & Clark) + the 59-mile free-flowing Missouri National Recreational River reach below Gavins Point Dam (NPS-designated Wild & Scenic 1978 — the longest remaining unimpounded reach of the Missouri downstream of the four reservoirs); walleye + sauger combined 4 / day (only one 20 in or longer), 15 in walleye minimum on the river reaches below Fort Randall + Gavins Point dams; smallmouth bass 5 / day combined, no minimum; catfish (channel + blue + flathead) NO daily or possession limit on the inland reaches (only 1 flathead 30 in or longer), takeable year-round day or night; white bass 15 / day (30 possession) on the lower reach below Fort Randall Dam; paddlefish (SDGFP Tag + snag-fishing season May 1 – 31 on Lake Francis Case + the White River; June archery + October snagging below Gavins Point Dam); sturgeon (federally listed pallid sturgeon no harvest)
Trout 5 / day combined (rainbow + brown + brook); lake trout + splake 1 / day, 24 in minimum (Black Hills rule); SDGFP + USFS Black Hills National Forest manage as cold-water trout reservoir; ice-fishing through frozen Black Hills winters (one of only inland SD lakes with stocked lake trout)
Trout 5 / day combined; SDGFP-managed cold-water Black Hills trout fishery; recreational paddling + camping accessible from Sheridan Lake Campground
Trout 5 / day combined; smallmouth bass 5 / day combined, no minimum; SDGFP-managed cold-water Black Hills trout + warm-water smallmouth reservoir
Trout 5 / day combined; Custer State Park entry permit required (separate from SD Fishing Licence); classic Black Hills sceneic trout lake at the foot of Harney Peak / Black Elk Peak
Trout 5 / day combined; largemouth bass 5 / day combined, no minimum; northern pike 6 / day; Custer State Park entry permit required
Trout 5 / day combined; SDGFP-managed cold-water small Black Hills trout pond
Trout 5 / day combined; SDGFP-managed cold-water small Black Hills trout pond
Joint SD/MN reciprocal compact on main stem (anglers may use SD or MN Fishing Licence); walleye + sauger combined 4 / day (only one 20 in or longer); smallmouth + largemouth bass combined 6 / day, no minimum; northern pike 6 / day; perch 15 / day; crappie 10 / day; headwaters of the Minnesota River (Big Stone Lake is the source of the Minnesota River); natural glacial-lake trophy walleye fishery
Walleye + sauger combined 4 / day (only one 20 in or longer); northern pike 6 / day; perch 15 / day; classic eastern SD glacial-prairie natural lake fishery; one of densest perch + walleye fisheries in the eastern SD natural lake tier
Walleye + sauger combined 4 / day (only one 20 in or longer); smallmouth bass 5 / day, no minimum; northern pike 6 / day; perch 15 / day; Roy Lake State Park entry permit required; classic eastern SD natural lake walleye fishery
Walleye 2 / day, 15 in minimum (quality-management reduction from the statewide 4 / day; the 14–18 in protected slot belongs to New Wall Dam, not Belle Fourche); smallmouth bass 5 / day combined, no minimum; northern pike 6 / day; catfish 10 / day any combination (only 1 flathead 30 in or longer); western SD plains reservoir adjacent to the Black Hills foothills
Walleye TROPHY MANAGEMENT — daily limit 1, minimum length 28 in (far stricter than the statewide 4 / day + only-one-over-20 rule); northern pike 6 / day no minimum; perch 15 / day; an eastern SD Glacial Lakes Region natural lake in Day County managed as a trophy-walleye water
Walleye TROPHY MANAGEMENT — daily limit 1, minimum length 28 in (far stricter than the statewide rule); northern pike 6 / day; a natural lake in Minnehaha County near Sioux Falls (eastern SD) managed as a trophy-walleye water
Walleye daily limit 2, minimum length 15 in (a quality-management reduction from the statewide 4 / day); northern pike 6 / day; perch 15 / day; an eastern SD Glacial Lakes Region natural lake in Day County (the adjoining Middle Lynn Lake carries the same 2 / day, 15 in walleye rule)
Walleye daily limit 2, minimum length 15 in (quality-management reduction from the statewide rule); northern pike 6 / day; perch 15 / day; an eastern SD Glacial Lakes Region natural lake in Day / Marshall Counties
Walleye daily limit 2, minimum length 15 in (quality-management reduction from the statewide rule); a western SD prairie lake in Meade County north of the Black Hills
Walleye daily limit 2, minimum length 15 in (quality-management reduction from the statewide rule); a western SD plains reservoir in Butte County near Newell, in the Belle Fourche irrigation district
Walleye 15 in minimum length (statewide bag of 4 / day, only one 20 in or longer); smallmouth bass 5 / day combined; a popular 4,500-acre Bureau of Reclamation plains reservoir on the Cheyenne River in Fall River County (Angostura Recreation Area, southwestern SD)
Walleye 15 in minimum length (statewide bag of 4 / day, only one 20 in or longer); northern pike 6 / day; catfish 10 / day any combination (only 1 flathead 30 in or longer); a western SD plains reservoir on the Grand River in Perkins County (Shadehill Recreation Area)
TROPHY / QUALITY MANAGEMENT (May 1 – Sept 30, open to public access): walleye or sauger daily limit 1 (28 in minimum), yellow perch daily limit 1 (14 in minimum), black crappie daily limit 1 (15 in minimum), bluegill daily limit 1 (10 in minimum); all other species statewide limits. Oct 1 – April 30 the lake requires landowner permission and statewide limits apply. An eastern SD Glacial Lakes Region natural lake in Day County managed for trophy panfish + walleye
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 15 in minimum length (the statewide black bass has no minimum, so this is a quality-management overlay); 5 / day combined black bass; a reservoir in Davison County at Mitchell (James River valley, southeastern SD)
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 15 in minimum length (quality-management overlay over the no-minimum statewide rule); 5 / day combined black bass; a small Missouri River backwater lake below Gavins Point Dam in Yankton County
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 14–18 in protected slot — keep only bass under 14 in or 18 in and longer, no more than one 18 in or longer; 5 / day combined; a prairie stock-dam reservoir in Pennington County near Wall (western SD)
Catfish: NO daily or possession limit (channel + blue + flathead in any combination; only one flathead 30 in or longer) — a harvest-encouraged exception to the statewide 10 / day catfish rule. A major western SD prairie river flowing east off the Black Hills into Lake Oahe on the Missouri River main stem
Catfish: NO daily or possession limit (channel + blue + flathead in any combination; only one flathead 30 in or longer) — a harvest-encouraged exception to the statewide 10 / day catfish rule. A turbid Badlands-country river crossing south-central SD to Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River
Trout: CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY on the Rapid City urban-canyon reaches (Pennington County); artificial lures only — use or possession of organic bait within 100 ft of the stream is prohibited. The premier Black Hills tailwater trout stream below Pactola Dam
Trout: CATCH AND RELEASE for rainbow trout; standard harvest limits apply to brown + brook trout. A classic Black Hills freestone trout stream through Spearfish Canyon in Lawrence County (within the Black Hills trout management area, where only one trout 14 in or longer from any Black Hills stream may be kept in the daily limit)
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in South Dakota?
- Yes. South Dakota requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP); resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in South Dakota?
- Resident fees range from $10.00 (resident 1-day fishing) to $60.00 (resident annual combination fishing + small game); Non-resident fees range from $25.00 (habitat stamp (non-resident)) to $80.00 (non-resident annual fishing). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare South Dakota against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in South Dakota?
- South Dakota anglers most commonly target Walleye, Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Chinook salmon, Yellow perch, Channel catfish, and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in South Dakota?
- It depends on the species — South Dakota sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific South Dakota waters?
- Yes. 32 named South Dakota waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, Lake Francis Case, and 29 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) is the authoritative source for South Dakota fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official South Dakota fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks's emergency-order feed — check it before any South Dakota trip during the active season.