A Couple Keepers.  Smaller walleyes are just beginning to show up in the southern reaches of the Missouri River, but concerns remain over their available forage and resulting body condition. DEO Photo by Mike Peluso

By Mike Peluso

This week’s walleye fishing on the Missouri River near Bismarck is the same story as in previous weeks. A few small fish are being caught around that 12-to-13-inch size range. I’m hoping we will see some more walleyes show up in the next couple of weeks.

Sakakawea continues to be good. I just cannot believe how that lake continues to produce. Especially this season, it has been a year for the record books. Devils Lake is also pretty good right now if weather permits. Pulling cranks on the old roads and jigging around the bridges are tactics producing walleyes

I’m going to continue to poke around the Missouri River near and south of Bismarck, as we are definitely closing in on when the walleyes begin to show up. I would anticipate a decent bite starting mid-October. I also have a few more guide trips on Devils Lake so I will report from there also. If the weather (and wind) stays down, I will definitely get back up to Sakakawea. All indications are pointing to an unreal fall bite.

The one thing I can guarantee is I’ll be out on the Missouri River all fall trying to fish, and I will report to you what I’m finding. As of right now, I’m not finding anything and that is not normal for this body of water.  The few fish we are seeing are small and very skinny. Now before we all go into doom and gloom mode, the Missouri River does have a strong population of large to beast size walleyes in it. These fish are doing well and eating fresh water herring down in the southern stretches of Oahe. So as far as a trophy fishery goes, the Missouri River and Lake Oahe is definitely still that! It should remain this way for a couple years yet.

Mike Peluso is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a licensed ND fishing guide specializing in walleyes on the state’s premier waters.