South Dakota
Webster has a one-stop shop for everything anglers and hunters need
Why some Erie folks prefer to fish on ice
With the right gear, ice-fishing fans spend hours on bay ice nearly a foot thick.
An army of anglers and hunters come to northeastern South Dakota to ply the lakes for whopper walleye or try their luck with waterfowl, big game or anything between. With so much water and so many options, having a local expert to guide you – that’s more valuable than the best lures, rods or reels.
The experts at Sportsmans Cove in Webster will dial you in on anything you might have forgotten back in Sioux Falls or Omaha, outfit you if you’re new to angling and most importantly, they know how South Dakota wind is not just a bug – it’s a feature. Or even if you are rolling in from as close as Aberdeen or Watertown.
“We’re blessed to have the fisheries we have nearby, from big lakes like Bitter to Waubay to some smaller ones. They’re all so close,” said Doug Johnson, who owns and operates Sportsmans Cove with his wife, Rhonda, and son, Dustin.
“Stop at a box store or gas station for bait, and they’re not going to be able to share the deep knowledge our team has when it comes to a good bite and where to launch or land,” he said.
Local expertise is only a single facet of this gem of an outfitter smack dab at the hub of hundreds of thousands of wet acres of fishing. People know it – Johnson said more than 1,000 people a day will stop in during peak seasons, which vary depending on the time of year and the species of fish anglers want.
“Walleye is No. 1 in the summer as you might expect, but perch in the winter for ice fishing is another big draw for folks,” Johnson said. “We know not only where to go, but what to use for bait, and when to hit the water to get the best results.”
While Bitter Lake and Waubay Lake are the fishing “foundation” of the area, Roy, Blue Dog, Pickerel, Enemy Swim and others are spots Johnson and his team know, too, so they can guide your plan for a day or a week.
With an array of firearms for sale, ammunition and complete hunting gear services, Sportsmans Cove lives up to its name as not only an angler’s heaven but a place a small-game seeker might get a great deal on the perfect shotgun for their sport.
“One of the biggest challenges for us, when it comes to hiring staff, is the fact we need knowledgeable and trustworthy people to help customers with anything from shiners and sucker chubs to the regulations and steps needed to purchase a quality firearm,” Johnson explained. “That’s what keeps us busy – having the ability to do so many things for customers who want some well-informed help when they’re in this part of South Dakota.”
Another item traveling anglers or hunters may need is a place to put their heads down after a big day in the boat. Sportsman Cove realizes this fact, and Johnson said lodging is another integral part of his business.
“We have the Sportsmans Cabin out in the country, as well as an apartment-like spot called The Den here in town,” he said. “We also have the Guest House, so we can make sure you and your group have a place to stay while you’re here to hunt or fish.”
Johnson, 63, started this business with his gumption and an abandoned building he crafted and fine-tuned into a compilation of services. The multilayered business meets the needs of the outdoors people who recognize the draw of this area of South Dakota. It’s part of the Prairie Pothole Region but also has those giant waterways – Bitter and Waubay Lakes – that can give the best fishing enthusiast days and days of limiting-out memories.
“We can help you figure out where the best bite is happening when you come, as well as your best bet when it comes to access,” Johnson said. “We’ll make sure you steer clear of a dock that might make landing or launching a really tough part of your fishing trip, because of the wind.”
Just north of Highway 12, near the spot it junctions with Highway 25, Sportsmans Cove and the team who make it hum realize they’re in a great spot. The people who love the outdoors know it, too.
“There’s not many mom-and-pops around anymore, but we’re doing it,” Johnson said. “We’re just fortunate to have so much good water nearby and so many perfect places to explore, hunt or fish. We really enjoy sharing what we know with the folks who come up to enjoy the pastimes they are enthusiastic about.”
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Several new South Dakota laws officially take effect July 1 after being signed into law this session.
This includes new rules on government transparency, online safety, and data privacy.
The Attorney General’s office says the changes are designed to protect South Dakotans both online and in public institutions.
The following 10 bills go into effect July 1:
- Senate Bill 17: Prohibits a candidate or political committee from accepting contributions or loans made by a foreign national. It was unanimously passed by both the House and Senate.
- Senate Bill 41: Revise a provision related to criminal invasions of privacy, prohibit the creation and distribution of digitally fabricated material of an identifiable individual, and provide penalties therefor.
- Senate Bill 42: Enhance the penalties for ingestion, possession with intent to deliver, and delivery of a controlled substance in a state correctional facility.
- Senate Bill 43: Address search and seizure provisions applicable to digital currency.
- Senate Bill 44: Establish investigative subpoena authority to gather business records in certain investigations.
- Senate Bill 45: Revise a provision regulating delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, THC-O acetate, and hexahydrocannabinol for persons under the age of under the age of twenty-one and to provide a penalty therefor.
- Senate Bill 46: Modify the requirements for open meeting agendas and provide a penalty therefor.
- Senate Bill 47: Revise the requirements for executive sessions and closed meetings.
- Senate Bill 48: Clarify that an official open meeting agenda must be posted online at least seventy-two hours before the scheduled start of the meeting.
- Senate Bill 49: Safeguards the integrity, privacy, and security of genetic data and provides a civil penalty therefor.
“These bills protect our citizens from online predators, scammers, and illegal drugs, while they strengthen transparency within state government,” said Attorney General Jackley.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Vermillion guard Taylor Reuvers is staying home as the junior announced her commitment to USD via X on Tuesday.
Reuvers earned first team All-State honors as a sophomore, averaging 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. The 2028 graduate led her squad to a 13-9 record for the 2025-26 season.
Oklahoma didn’t suffer any strong wind damage this week, but wind farms in South Dakota certainly did.
Several wind turbines were toppled by the 130 MPH winds that hit the central part of the state Monday morning. They were described as straight line winds and not tornadoes. But the winds compared to those recorded in some tornadoes.
The 131-mph wind was recorded at Holabird in Hyde County at 6:15 a.m. local time.
A picture of the extensive damage showed at least 7 of the wind towers were bent over by the powerful Mother Nature.
According to a report by Energy News Beat, storm chaser Jakob McMillin documented the scene in a widely shared post on X (formerly Twitter), showing multiple wind turbine towers collapsed or heavily damaged, with blades and structural debris scattered across the prairie. In replies to his post, McMillin stated he observed “over 20” turbines destroyed or critically damaged.
The Affected Wind Farm
The damaged facility is the South Dakota Wind Energy Center (also known as the Highmore Wind Energy Project or Highmore Wind Farm), located approximately 10 miles south of Highmore.
- Number of turbines: 27
- Turbine model: GE Vernova 1.5s (1.5 MW each)
- Total nameplate capacity: 40.5 MW
- Commissioning year: 2003 (South Dakota’s first major wind farm)
- Owner/Operator: NextEra Energy Resources (formerly FPL Energy)
- Power purchaser: Basin Electric Power Cooperative
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