South Dakota Fishing Calendar
What's biting month by month, and how many South Dakota charters on Unreel target each fish.
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Walleye16 charters · May to July and September to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: off peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Salmon4 charters · June to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Yellow Perch3 charters · January to February and September to October | January: peak | February: peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
Shaded months are the typical peak for a charter trip. The outlined column is this month.
South Dakota fishing, month by month
- January
- Yellow Perch
- February
- Yellow Perch
- March
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- April
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- May
- Walleye
- August
- Salmon
- September
- Walleye, Salmon, Yellow Perch
- October
- Walleye, Salmon, Yellow Perch
- November
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- December
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
How this calendar is built
The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a South Dakota charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.
The shaded months are general peak windows for the Northern Plains, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check South Dakota's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.