When is chinook salmon (king salmon) season in South Dakota?

South Dakota keeps chinook salmon (king salmon) open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the South Dakota bag limit for chinook salmon (king salmon)?

The South Dakota daily bag limit for chinook salmon (king salmon) is 5 / day per angler on Lake Oahe (part of the combined trout + salmon + splake daily limit). The possession limit is 10 in possession. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size chinook salmon (king salmon) can you keep in South Dakota?

The South Dakota size rule for chinook salmon (king salmon) is No statewide minimum on chinook salmon. Trophy rule: SD state-record chinook salmon 31 lb 4 oz Lake Oahe 1991; Oahe one of only inland US lakes with viable Pacific salmon fishery (alongside Lake Sakakawea ND, Great Lakes, Pyramid Lake NV); SDGFP + USFWS Gavins Point + Cleghorn Springs Hatcheries ~250,000 chinook salmon smolts stocked annually.

Do you need a license to fish for chinook salmon (king salmon) in South Dakota?

Yes. South Dakota requires a valid fishing license to fish for chinook salmon (king salmon), with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a South Dakota license — compare resident and non-resident South Dakota fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for chinook salmon (king salmon) in South Dakota?

Yes. In South Dakota, chinook salmon (king salmon) fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; down-rigger trolling permitted (most-effective summer tactic on deep-water main-lake thermocline); Trolling spoons + dodger-fly tandem rigs + flatlining rapalas all standard tactics; Live shad + smelt bait permitted; SD Fishing Licence required for anglers 18+ ($31 res / $80 NR annual); Habitat Stamp ($10 res / $25 NR) also required at 18+; Confirm current-year SDGFP Fishing Regulations for any seasonal restrictions.

Do specific South Dakota waters have different chinook salmon (king salmon) rules?

Yes. 2 named South Dakota waters carry rules that override the statewide chinook salmon (king salmon) regulation, including Lake Oahe, Oahe Dam Tailwater. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

South Dakota Chinook salmon (king salmon) 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Last updated June 9, 2026

South Dakota chinook salmon fishery is one of only a handful of viable inland Pacific salmon fisheries in the United States — Lake Oahe (370,000 acres on the Missouri River behind Oahe Dam, the country's fourth-largest reservoir) has been stocked with chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha — Pacific anadromous salmon stocked as a land-locked population) by SDGFP + USFWS at the Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery + the Cleghorn Springs State Fish Hatchery since 1982, producing a viable recreational fishery alongside Lake Sakakawea ND, the Great Lakes Pacific salmon program, and Pyramid Lake NV cutthroat. The mechanism is rare: Lake Oahe's deep cold-water main-stem basin (200+ ft maximum depth) + USFWS Gavins Point Hatchery's chinook stocking program + the rainbow smelt forage base (rainbow smelt also stocked / colonized post-Oahe Dam impoundment) supports chinook to grow to 20-30 lb on the smelt prey base. SD state-record chinook salmon 31 lb 4 oz (Lake Oahe, 1991). The species is open year-round on Lake Oahe with a 5-fish-per-day bag (part of the statewide combined trout + salmon + splake 5-fish daily limit, 10 in possession) + no minimum length. The April – May spring spawning migration upstream toward the Oahe Dam tailwater + the August – October fall pre-spawn surface-trolling tier on the main-lake thermocline are the densest fishing windows. SDGFP stocks ~250,000 chinook salmon smolts annually at the USFWS Gavins Point + Cleghorn Springs hatcheries to maintain the population (chinook do not naturally reproduce successfully in Lake Oahe — the species needs rivers with gravel + sufficient flow + cold-water habitat for natural spawning, which the Missouri River reach above Oahe does not provide at scale, so the entire fishery is stocking-dependent).

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round on Lake Oahe; spring spawning migration toward Oahe Dam tailwater April – May; fall pre-spawn surface-trolling on main-lake thermocline August – October.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 5 / day per angler on Lake Oahe (part of the combined trout + salmon + splake daily limit)
Possession: 10 in possession

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum on chinook salmon
Trophy rule: SD state-record chinook salmon 31 lb 4 oz Lake Oahe 1991; Oahe one of only inland US lakes with viable Pacific salmon fishery (alongside Lake Sakakawea ND, Great Lakes, Pyramid Lake NV); SDGFP + USFWS Gavins Point + Cleghorn Springs Hatcheries ~250,000 chinook salmon smolts stocked annually

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; down-rigger trolling permitted (most-effective summer tactic on deep-water main-lake thermocline)
Trolling spoons + dodger-fly tandem rigs + flatlining rapalas all standard tactics
Live shad + smelt bait permitted
SD Fishing Licence required for anglers 18+ ($31 res / $80 NR annual); Habitat Stamp ($10 res / $25 NR) also required at 18+
Confirm current-year SDGFP Fishing Regulations for any seasonal restrictions

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific South Dakota waters:

Lake Oahe
No minimum, 5 / day; SD state-record chinook 31 lb 4 oz Oahe 1991; one of only inland US lakes with viable Pacific salmon fishery
Oahe Dam Tailwater
Chinook salmon spring spawning migration April – May (no harvest above marker buoys at the dam); SDGFP + USFWS Gavins Point + Cleghorn Springs Hatchery facilities

Official source

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) publishes the authoritative 2026 South Dakotafishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

Visit official South Dakota fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Chinook salmon (king salmon) closures, slot-limit changes, and 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.

Frequently asked questions

When is chinook salmon (king salmon) season in South Dakota?: South Dakota keeps chinook salmon (king salmon) open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the South Dakota bag limit for chinook salmon (king salmon)?: The South Dakota daily bag limit for chinook salmon (king salmon) is 5 / day per angler on Lake Oahe (part of the combined trout + salmon + splake daily limit). The possession limit is 10 in possession. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size chinook salmon (king salmon) can you keep in South Dakota?: The South Dakota size rule for chinook salmon (king salmon) is No statewide minimum on chinook salmon. Trophy rule: SD state-record chinook salmon 31 lb 4 oz Lake Oahe 1991; Oahe one of only inland US lakes with viable Pacific salmon fishery (alongside Lake Sakakawea ND, Great Lakes, Pyramid Lake NV); SDGFP + USFWS Gavins Point + Cleghorn Springs Hatcheries ~250,000 chinook salmon smolts stocked annually.
Do you need a license to fish for chinook salmon (king salmon) in South Dakota?: Yes. South Dakota requires a valid fishing license to fish for chinook salmon (king salmon), with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a South Dakota license — compare resident and non-resident South Dakota fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for chinook salmon (king salmon) in South Dakota?: Yes. In South Dakota, chinook salmon (king salmon) fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; down-rigger trolling permitted (most-effective summer tactic on deep-water main-lake thermocline); Trolling spoons + dodger-fly tandem rigs + flatlining rapalas all standard tactics; Live shad + smelt bait permitted; SD Fishing Licence required for anglers 18+ ($31 res / $80 NR annual); Habitat Stamp ($10 res / $25 NR) also required at 18+; Confirm current-year SDGFP Fishing Regulations for any seasonal restrictions.
Do specific South Dakota waters have different chinook salmon (king salmon) rules?: Yes. 2 named South Dakota waters carry rules that override the statewide chinook salmon (king salmon) regulation, including Lake Oahe, Oahe Dam Tailwater. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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