Missouri River
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations for Missouri River from Fort Randall Dam downstream 5.5 miles to the Nebraska border, as the state words them
Dewey County · River · SD
Today's rule hereParsed
- Season
- year-roundThis water
- Gear
- A line may have three hooks per line year-roundStatewide
- Bait
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Poles
- Two lines may be used for open-water fishing whereas four lines may be used for fishing through the ice.Statewide
| Species | Daily limit | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
Walleye (includes Walleye/Sauger/ Saugeye) | 4 (only one 20” or longer) | - | Statewide |
Northern Pike | 6 | - | Statewide |
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass (any combination) Varies by water: limit 5 (Iowa-South Dakota Border Waters) | 6 | - | Statewide |
Yellow Perch | 15 | - | Statewide |
Crappie Varies by water: limit 15 (Iowa-South Dakota Border Waters) | 10 | - | Statewide |
White Bass Possession limit 30 | 15 | - | This water |
Rock Bass | 20 | - | Statewide |
Bullhead | 100 | - | Statewide |
Catfish (any combination) Varies by water: limit 5 (only one 24” or longer) (Minnesota-South Dakota Border Waters) | 10 (only one flatheadcatfish 30” or longer) | - | Statewide |
Paddlefish | Available by special permit only | - | Statewide |
Rough Fish | No Limit | - | Statewide |
Walleye (includes Walleye/Sauger/Saugeye) Varies by water: limit 4 (only one 20” or longer) (Iowa-South Dakota Border Waters) | 4 (only one 20” orlonger) | - | Statewide |
White Bass/Rock Bass | No Limit | - | Statewide |
Rough fish, Bullhead | No Limit | - | Statewide |
Channel Catfish | 10 | - | Statewide |
Flathead Catfish | 5 (only one 30” or longer) | - | Statewide |
Blue Catfish | 1 | - | Statewide |
Muskellunge/Tiger Muskie | Catch and release only. | - | Statewide |
Trout/Salmon (any combination) | 5 | - | Statewide |
Muskellunge, tiger muskie | Catch and release only | - | Statewide |
Trout, salmon, splake (any combination) | 5 | - | Statewide |
Largemouth/smallmouth bass (anycombination) | 5 | - | Statewide |
Smelt | 5 gallons | - | Statewide |
Lake herring/lake whitefish/bullhead/roughfish | No limit | - | Statewide |
Walleye | no more than one fish 20” or longer year-round | min. 15” | This water |
Catfish | No daily limit or possession limit; only one flathead catfish 30” or longer daily | - | This water |
The official text, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from SD's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
- Walleyeyear-roundDaily limit no more than one fish 20” or longer year-roundSize 15”
- CatfishDaily limit No daily limit or possession limit; only one flathead catfish 30” or longer daily
- White BassDaily limit 15Possession limit 30
- Walleyeyear-roundSize 15”
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide river rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this section begins and ends
The drawn shape is the named water, matched from the official list against OpenStreetMap and accepted only because the name resolved to a single feature in this water's county.
Different sections of this water can have different rules. The exact section boundaries are not marked on the map yet; each rule above describes in plain words where it starts and ends, and that written description is the authoritative boundary. Map boundaries come water by water, never as a guess.
Season at a glanceDerived
Sampled mid-month from the dated rows; short windows can slip between samples. The rows above are authoritative.
At the water nowContext
Streamflow: 10.8 cfs at beaver creek below linton, nd (2026-10-13 09:00)
Forecast: National Weather Service. Flow: nearest active USGS gauge in this water's area, which may sit on a different reach. Conditions are context, not rules.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Missouri River's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
You also need (South Dakota)
- Tribal waters need a separate tribal license. A state license is not enough on inland waters overlying Indian trust property; non-tribal members need a tribal fishing license there. The Missouri River and its impoundments need only the state license, but fishing it from shore on tribal land may require a tribal license or access permit.
Checked against South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks - General License Requirements (Fish) on Aug. 4, 2026.
Receipts
Local services near Missouri River
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Missouri River? Get listed.