Officials Say Lake Oahe Salmon Fishery on the Upswing

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The chinook salmon population in Lake Oahe isn't back to levels seen on the Dakotas fishery before the 2011 Missouri River flood, but officials say it's getting a boost from a successful lake herring spawn.

The 2011 flood flushed rainbow smelt through Oahe Dam. The smelt are the main food source for salmon, but lake herring can take their place until they get too big.

South Dakota Fisheries Biologist Bob Hanten tells the Capital Journal that baitfish conditions are almost ideal for growing big salmon. Last week, two children from Pierre narrowly missed a state record when they landed a chinook weighing nearly 23 pounds, 6 ounces.

Hanten says that catch and others show that the salmon fishery is on the upswing.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.