2026 National Freshwater Spearfishing Tournament — Lake Oahe, SD

REGISTER HERE

REGISTRATION
$100 per diver

EVENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, August 27th
6:00PM - Mandatory tournament rules meeting  & check in

Friday, August 28th
8:00AM - Shotgun start from the The Outpost Lodge
4:00PM - Must be checked in at weigh station at
The Outpost Lodge

Saturday, August 29th
8:00AM - Shotgun start from the The Outpost Lodge
4:00PM - Must be checked in at weigh station at
The Outpost Lodge
6:00PM - Awards Banquet + Dinner

AWARDS BANQUET
Saturday, August 29th – 6:00PM
The Outpost Lodge
28229 Cow Creek Rd
Pierre, SD 57501

Awards Banquet will host a raffle/silent auction and Calcutta at Event Venue. The banquet is included in your entry fee. Extra tickets need to be purchased when you register for the tournament. Each extra ticket costs $25. The banquet will include an all-you-can-eat buffet consisting of prime rib, chicken, vegetables, dessert, etc.

Competitor Meeting, Shotgun start,
Weigh In, and Banquet location:
The Outpost Lodge
28229 Cow Creek Rd
Pierre, SD 57501
https://outpostsd.com/

2026 NFSA National Tournament General Rules

1. Timeframe - This is a two-day tournament to take place on Friday August 28th and Saturday August 29th.  

• • The tournament will begin at 8:00AM each morning and divers must be checked into the weigh-in no later than 4:00PM.

1. Rules Meeting - There will be a mandatory tournament rules meeting and check-on Thursday, August 27th at The Outpost Lodge at 6:00PM local time.

• • Both competitors are required, and Boat Captains are encouraged, to attend the tournament rules meeting. A virtual meeting link can be provided upon request.
  • Rules are subject to change until July 1st, 2026 after which no changes will be made.
    

1. Location - The tournament diving locations are limited to Lake Oahe (“above the dam”)(See Figure 9) from the face of the Oahe dam to the east (upstream) side of the US Hwy 212 bridge near Whitlock Bay.  Competitors are also allowed to compete in Lake Sharpe (“tailrace” or “below the dam”)(See Figure 7 & 8) from the “take line” which is marked by large red signs near the dam on both sides of the river to the south side (downstream) of the US Hwy 14 bridge to the south.  Divers may dive both the US Hwy 212 and US 14 bridge, so long as they do not restrict other watercraft’s navigation.

2. Laws - Boaters and competitors shall abide by all bag limits, boating restrictions, spearing restrictions, transportation of boats and fish and other laws relating to boating and the taking of fish.

3. License - Competitors shall hold a valid South Dakota fishing license which permits them to spearfish during the duration of the tournament.

4. A team CANNOT dive separate bodies of water at the same time. It is recommended that they stay within eyesight of their boat captain and practice 1 up 1 down team diving for safety. No fish is worth your life.
   
   

5. Diver-down flags - Divers shall strictly adhere to the diver-down flag requirements outlined above, it is highly recommended that anyone diving the tailrace dive with a float or buoy directly attached to themselves or their guns or other equipment.
   

6. NO fish may be shot in the event area 30 days before the event. This will result in a disqualification for that individual. Practice shooting fish outside the event zone.
   
   
7. Fish that are judged more than a day old or rotting will not be counted, divers with
   multiple rotting fish maybe disqualified.

Expected Diving Conditions

• Visibility: 5-30ft
• Structure: Varies from mud/muck to rocks and gravel, fallen trees, and bridge structure.
• Water Temperature: 65-75 degrees fahrenheit.
• Thermocline: 15 to 25 ft + 10 degree drop in temperature
  
  

Tournament Scoring Rules:

This is a two-day tournament. The scoring rules for each day are the same. The Missouri River (Lake Oahe/Lake Sharpe) has a diverse list of species allowable to spear, each presenting its own challenges.  

• Each participant must follow State size limit restrictions (Walleyes), and total State bag limit restrictions.

• Each participant can score two fish from each species/category (See Scorecard), per tournament day. EXCEPT ONLY 1 CARP/BUFFALO regardless of subspecies may be scored per day.

• Team scores will be the total combined points of each participant’s two-day totals.

Participants will receive points based on the following criteria:

• 1 point per legal species scored, per day.

• • Walleye / Sauger / Sauge-Eye
  • Catfish - Bullhead, Flathead, Channel, Blue, etc
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Smallmouth Bass
  • Panfish - Crappie, Perch, Sunfish, White Bass, Rock Bass
  • Northern Pike
  • Carp - Common Carp, Grass Carp, Bigmouth Buffalo, Smallmouth Buffalo
  • Trout / Salmon
  • Burbot
  • Suckerfish (all species combined)
  • Freshwater Drum

• 1 point per fish scored, with a maximum of 2 fish per species/category, per day.  EXCEPT ONLY 1 CARP/BUFFALO regardless of subspecies may be scored per day.

• 1 point per pound measured fractionally, per day.

• BONUS: If you are able to “check-off” six or more species in a single day you receive an extra 10 points to your total for that day.  This bonus is available both days, but you must take at least six or more species on that day.

Team members are strictly prohibited from shooting fish for another team member - NO sharing/trading of catch.

Largest Fish Awards:

• There will be a separate award for the largest game fish weighed. Game fish are all fish excluding suckers, carp, buffalo, and catfish.
• There will be a separate award for the largest rough fish weighed. Rough fish are all fish which are not game fish.  Specifically carp, buffalo, suckers, and catfish.
   

Protest

In the event of a protest, the below established rules will be followed.

1. An official competition Protest Committee shall be selected, by the Tournament Referee or Head Official, to rule on any protests by competitors during a competition. No individual with a conflict of interest may serve on the Protest Committee.
2. The protest committee shall be comprised of three individuals.
3. All members of the Protest Committee shall be announced at the Competitors/Captains Briefing and/or at the start of competition.
4. All protests shall be submitted to the Tournament Referee or Head Official in writing, signed by the complainant, and shall be accompanied by a $100.00 (USD) protest fee (cash or check) which will be refunded if the protest is upheld.
5. All protest fees not refunded shall be submitted to the NFSA Treasurer within 15 days of the end of the competition.
6. All protests shall be made within one hour of the incident or within one hour of completion of the event in question.
7. The complainant and the defendant may each have no more than two people at the protest hearing.
8. Upon receiving a protest, the Tournament Referee or Head Official shall convene the Protest Committee, examine the evidence available and call for a vote of the Committee.
9. Each Protest Committee member has one vote.
10. If any member of the protest committee has a conflict of interest in the specific protest, the Tournament Referee or Head Official will appoint alternate(s) to replace those members for that hearing.
11. All protest hearing decisions shall be made within two hours of receipt and prior to the start of any event affected by the protest.
12. Penalties will be defined by each sports committee rules.
13. All protest decisions are final.
    
    

South Dakota State Regulations for Spearfishing (Oahe & Lake Sharpe):

General Fishing Regulations which apply to Spearfishing:

Harvest and Length Limits for Inland Missouri River:

Figure 1: Harvest and Length Limit Table for Inland Missouri River, 2025 South Dakota Fishing Handbook, pg. 27

• Sturgeon, Muskie, and Paddlefish cannot be taken under any circumstances.  Muskie are not present in inland Missouri River waters, but some of you will see Sturgeon and Paddlefish:
  
  
  

Figure 2: Missouri River Pallid Sturgeon

 

Figure 3: Shovelnose Sturgeon

Figure 4: Paddlefish

Lake Sharpe Specific Length and Harvest Regs (“Below the Dam”/”Tailrace”):

• Walleye: 15” Minimum Length, EXCEPT for July and August when there is no minimum length. (Pg. 25)

Transportation of Fish:

Figure 5: Transportation of Fish Regulation

Spearfishing Specific Regulations:

• Line attached to spear cannot be more than 20’ long. (Pg. 49)

• Hours: ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset. (Pg. 50)

• Limits: same as hook and line fishing.  Rough fish must be “retained.” (Pg. 50)

• Diver-Down Flag: must display a diver-down flag attached to a float, rubber tube, diver, or boat while diving.  The flag must be at least 12” x 15” and must be red with a diagonal white strip.  Diver’s must stay within 75’ of the flag.

• Underwater spearfishing is not permitted within 100yds of designated (by buoys) swimming areas, boat docks, power intake tubes, or spillways, OR where the placement of the diver-down flag would restrict boat access at public access or watercraft navigation. (Pg. 50)

Boating Regulations:

• Valid Registration Required (Pg. 40)

• Must have at least one US Coast Guard Approved PFD per person. (Pg. 44)

• All vessels 16’ or longer must have at least one USCG approved throwable.

• Motorized boats must stay at least 75’ away from diver-down flag unless the boat is part of or related to the diving activity. (Pg. 50)

Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations:

• All plants, mud, animals or other organic material must be removed from boats and trailers. (Pg. 58)

• All trailed boats must have all drain, LiveWell plugs, bailers, valves or other drainage devices opened or removed and kept out except while in a boat ramp parking area or while being launched or loaded.

• Any vehicle transporting a boat or watercraft is subject to inspection for AIS.  You will see signs on highways, boat launches, etc.