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Big Sioux River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Sioux Falls’ river: the Big Sioux runs catfish, walleye and smallmouth along the South Dakota border.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
105 cfs
Air / High
96 / 96 F
Wind
ESE 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06481000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Big Sioux River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 105 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind ESE around 6 mph, falling pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 96. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 88 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Big Sioux River near Dell Rapids.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06481000.

128207286105 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp96 F
High / Low96 / 67 F
WindESE 6-7 mph
Pressure1009.0 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:54 / 19:56
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 96/67 F, wind 10 mph, rain 1%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Big Sioux River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Big Sioux River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Big Sioux River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 90 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 89 F, wind to 13 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 86 F, wind to 15 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

South Dakota requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

South Dakota license (Iowa rules apply on the border reach). Catfish, walleye and bass limits per current Game, Fish and Parks regulations.

Access

Sioux Falls park system, road crossings and public access through Brookings and Dell Rapids.

About this water

A 420-mile river through eastern South Dakota to the Missouri at Sioux City, Minnehaha and Union counties.

Fishing Big Sioux River: the full guide

A border river

The Big Sioux River flows about 420 miles through eastern South Dakota, forming part of the Iowa border before joining the Missouri at Sioux City. It runs through prairie and farm country with limestone outcrops near Sioux Falls, holding channel and flathead catfish, walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and white bass through its length.

Catfish and walleye

Channel catfish are abundant and provide the everyday fishery on cut and prepared baits throughout. Flatheads hold the deeper holes and log jams, taken on live bait at night in summer. Walleye hold the deeper water and below the dams, particularly around Sioux Falls where the river drops over the falls that named the city.

Smallmouth and the falls

Smallmouth bass hold the rockier reaches, particularly near Sioux Falls where limestone outcrops create genuine structure: an urban fishery within a city park system. Northern pike inhabit the slower stretches. The river is wadeable in places at summer flows and floatable at moderate levels for canoes.

Eastern South Dakota logistics

Access is via the Sioux Falls park system, road crossings and public areas along the river through Brookings, Dell Rapids and downstream. The falls themselves are a city landmark with fishing access nearby. The river responds quickly to rain and runs turbid much of the year: fish the clearing water for best results.

Common questions

Can I fish in the city?

Yes: the Sioux Falls park system provides access, with smallmouth and walleye around the limestone falls area.

What is the main species?

Channel catfish throughout, with walleye below the dams and smallmouth on the rockier reaches.

Is the water clear?

Usually turbid given the prairie watershed: fish the clearing water after rain for the best conditions.

Is fishing good at Big Sioux River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Lake Thompson53 miLewis and Clark Lake76 miLake Okoboji82 miSpirit Lake83 miEast Okoboji Lake83 miStorm Lake107 mi
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