Fall Preparations Continue as Ice Season Approaches
November 19, 2025Cold weather is in the forecast, which has South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) biologists continuing to prepare for the transition from open water fishing to ice fishing season.
"Throughout the late fall our staff are closely monitoring the weather forecast as we want to provide as much boat access as possible for anglers to enjoy the fall bite, but still ensure our docks and buoys are out of the water when freeze up begins," said Jake Davis, Fisheries Program Administrator.
One important component of these removals is inspection of docks, buoys, and other infrastructure for aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels.
"These removals give us the best opportunity to find new zebra mussel positive waterbodies without impacting anglers' access," continued Davis. "This is also the highest likelihood we can discover these mussels, which is why many of our positive reports come in the late fall."
One example of this occurred on Horseshoe Lake in Day County, where zebra mussels were discovered on the dock.
"Our staff found multiple year classes of mussels present on the dock, which leads us to consider Horseshoe Lake positive for zebra mussels," explained Davis.
Individuals are reminded to clean, drain, dry every time they are on the water. This includes pulling all boat plugs, draining all water, and drying equipment that has been submerged in water.
"Our staff are going to continue to monitor for the zebra mussels as docks, buoys, and lifts are removed," concluded Davis. "If lakeshore residents find any suspect mussels on their docks, lifts, or buoys we encourage them to reach out to their local GFP office as well."
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