Way back in river channels, creek arms, and at the mouths of rivers in 6-9ft on Oahe have been very good as of late, but the bite changes by the day, and sometimes you have to grind it out and follow the fish. There’s lots of food in the system right now, so the bite is boom or bust, meaning you have to be out there to intercept them when they are feeding rather than digesting. Fish out towards the main lake and deeper structures are full of smelt, which indicates heavy summer feeding.
Water temps are 65-67 degrees depending on wind direction, and the best tactic has been slow trolling bottom bouncers and crawlers with Smile Blades at 1-1.3mph. Morning hours have produced good fishing on minnows, but the best bait has been crawlers all day long. The ticket is to just cover the water until you run into feeding fish. Big fish over 30 inches are being caught frequently this way, and many 9-12-inch perch have been caught incidentally, making for excellent bonus table fare.
As the water continues warming, the trolling bite will pick up as it is just getting going for the year.
Fishing Report from Chad Schilling of Oahe Wings and Walleye Guide Service
https://oahewings.com/
