The walleye bite on the Missouri River has been white hot, with good numbers caught on jigs-and-minnows as well as crankbaits. DEO photo by Jason Fredericks.

By Jarrod Fredericks

Having just returned from a National Walleye Tour event on the Missouri River in Chamberlain, S.D., I can say that the walleye bite on the Missouri River in that stretch is amazing.

Fish are in full spawn with lots of males milking and being caught in very shallow waters from one to four feet but they can be found as deep as 20 feet. Anglers are doing best with a jig-and-minnow combination or pulling Flicker Shad crankbaits on leadcore line.

In northeastern South Dakota, lakes are just starting to warm up, and the bite remains tough. Fish are more active later in the day, typically just before dark and after sunset. Water temperatures are in the low to mid-40s, and I anticipate the bite to pick up in the next few weeks as things get warmer.

Jarrod Fredericks is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a tournament angler and fishing guide in northeastern South Dakota.