South Dakota

Despite the more favorable weather this past week, the bite was fairly inconsistent. Still plenty of nice walleyes were caught, but that was more the exception than the rule.

The bite has started to improve quite a bit earlier this week as the temperatures warmed and the pressure fell.

Frequent fronts are definitely impacting the success and, to combat that, anglers need to go looking for the active fish instead of waiting for the fish to come to them.

Cold air continued to filter into the state, adding more and more ice day by day. In between the cold pushes, the weather stabilized and the bite was on. Plenty of nice walleyes were caught

Cold air has come back into the area, causing plenty of ice growth on area lakes. As a result, many more anglers are hitting the ice and finding fish. Whether it’s perch, walleyes, or bluegills,

Plenty of fish are being caught – here’s where and what anglers are using to get ’em.

Some of our area lakes opened up, so caution is advised for area lakes south of Highway 34. Plenty of walleyes and perch are being caught, though, as the weather pattern has stabilized.

Plenty of good, quality ice around eastern South Dakota – probably some of the best ice we’ve seen this time of year for a long time.

Despite the strong winds and the warm temperatures, the ice is holding up quite well. So what’s the status of the early-ice bite?