Share your catch
US

Big Sioux River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Eastern South Dakota's river: the Big Sioux runs walleye, pike, catfish and bass from Watertown country through Sioux Falls to the Missouri.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
115 cfs
Air / High
74 / 76 F
Wind
SSE 22 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Big Sioux River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 115 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind SSE around 22 mph, falling pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 76. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:03 AM-12:03 PM and 10:33 PM-12:33 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Northern pikeGood

The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

CrappieFair

Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 65 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

South Dakota requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $41.00 for residents. What a South Dakota licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing walleye here? Check the size and bag limits with SD GFP before you keep anything. The season dates for South Dakota, read off the agency, are on the South Dakota seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Big Sioux River near Dell Rapids.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06481000.

134174213115 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 78 years of October 23

At 115 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 06481000 (Big Sioux River near Dell Rapids) is at the 52nd percentile for the date: normal. In half of the 78 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 92 cfs; the highest was 2,690 cfs and the lowest 1 cfs.

p10 17median 92p90 791

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 06481000; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp74 F
High / Low76 / 59 F
WindSSE 22-38 mph
Pressure1011.3 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain80% cloud, 42%
Sunrise / Sunset07:51 / 18:30
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Big Sioux River this week

Today is the pick of the week on Big Sioux River, at 3 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 — fair at 3/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:03 AM-12:03 PM and 10:33 PM-12:33 AM
Minor period
4:26 AM-5:26 AM
Sun
07:51 to 18:30
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Showers, 23 mph
Rain chance
42%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

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.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: cool water, from ice-out through spring, in fall and under the ice

A long, duck-billed predator of weedy lakes, slow rivers and backwaters that ambushes fish from vegetation. Wisconsin DNR points out that, unlike most of the state's common game fish, pike do their best feeding in cool water. The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

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
Walleye
Catfish (blue, channel)
Crappie
Northern pike
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 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, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 78 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 17 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

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 fishing license plus the required habitat stamp. On the Iowa border reach, check both GFP and Iowa DNR border-water rules.

Access

Shore fishing at Dell Rapids Dam and Baltic Dam, the Sioux Falls city reach, Klondike, McKee and Pacific Bridge (Lincoln County), and Flandreau Dam and City Park (Moody County).

About this water

A prairie river through eastern South Dakota to the Missouri River at North Sioux City, forming the Iowa line on its lower reach; USGS gauge 06481000 is near Dell Rapids.

Fishing Big Sioux River: the full guide

Public water, county by county

South Dakota GFP lists the Big Sioux as public fishing water in county after county, from Watertown and Brookings down through Moody, Minnehaha and Lincoln counties to North Sioux City in Union County, where it reaches the Missouri. On its lower reach it forms the Iowa line, and Iowa DNR counts 129 river miles on its side.

Species by reach

GFP's lists name walleye, northern pike, crappie, catfish and bullhead in most counties, add bass in Minnehaha and Lincoln, and add sauger in Union County. Iowa DNR stocks walleye on the border reach, including 73,250 in June 2025.

Dams and city water

In Minnehaha County GFP lists 70 miles of river with access within the Sioux Falls city limits, plus shore fishing at the Dell Rapids and Baltic dams. Downstream, Lincoln County sites include Klondike, McKee and Pacific Bridge, and upstream in Moody County there are the Kamp Area, Flandreau Dam and Flandreau City Park.

Common questions

Can I fish in Sioux Falls?

Yes: GFP lists the river within the Sioux Falls city limits as public fishing water.

What are the main species?

Walleye, northern pike, catfish, crappie and bullhead appear throughout GFP's lists, with bass in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties.

Which rules apply on the border?

Where the river divides South Dakota and Iowa, read both states' border-water regulations before you fish.

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: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Lake Thompson53 miLake Poinsett60 miLewis and Clark Lake76 miLake Okoboji82 miSpirit Lake83 miEast Okoboji Lake83 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 06481000 — Big Sioux River near Dell Rapids
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:30 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.7200, -96.7200 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.