🏆🏆🏆🏆 Missouri River Reservoir — Recreation area on Lake Sharpe — one of the four massive Missouri River reservoirs that transformed South Dakota
Cow Creek Recreation Area sits on Lake Sharpe — one of the four massive Missouri River reservoirs created by the Pick-Sloan Flood Control Act of 1944. The six Missouri River dams (Garrison, Oahe, Big Bend, Fort Randall, Gavins Point, and Fort Peck) created the largest reservoir system in the United States — holding more water than all the Great Lakes combined when full! However, dam construction flooded over 550 square miles of tribal land, devastating the Sioux and Three Affiliated Tribes who lost their most fertile bottomlands and communities.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Stanley County, SD |
| Entry Fee | SD Park Entrance License required |
| Lake | Lake Sharpe — Missouri mega-reservoir! |
| Impact | 550 sqmi tribal land flooded! |
About Cow Creek
Cow Creek Recreation Area in Lyman County provides Missouri River recreation along Lake Sharpe — the reservoir created by Big Bend Dam. The area sits near the Big Bend of the Missouri — where the river makes a dramatic 25-mile loop around a narrow neck of land. Lewis and Clark noted this remarkable feature in their 1804 journals.
Things to Do
Fishing for walleye and bass, camping, boating on Lake Sharpe, exploring the Big Bend area, and tracing the Lewis and Clark route along the Missouri.
Insider Tips
Reservoir recreation: Cow Creek provides access to one of South Dakota’s Missouri River reservoirs — the dams transformed the prairie landscape into a water recreation destination. Pro tip: The reservoirs are world-class walleye fisheries — South Dakota walleye tournaments draw anglers from across the country. Prairie landscape: The surrounding treeless prairie stretches to the horizon — giving visitors a sense of the vastness that awed early explorers.
Best Time to Visit
Summer: Fishing and boating. Fall: Hunting season. Spring: Walleye spawning run. Winter: Ice fishing for walleye.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is walleye fishing so good in South Dakota?
The Missouri River reservoirs provide ideal walleye habitat — deep, cold water with abundant forage fish. Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, and Lake Francis Case consistently produce trophy walleye (8+ pounds). The reservoirs are stocked and managed by the SD Game, Fish and Parks. Spring spawning runs concentrate fish in tributary mouths — creating exceptional fishing opportunities.
Nearby state parks: If you have extra time, Farm Island Recreation Area is within about an hour’s drive, and LaFramboise Island Nature Area is within about an hour’s drive.
Camping reservations: Book campsites and cabins for South Dakota state parks online at reservations.gooutdoorssouthdakota.com.
🌊 Visit Cow Creek Recreation Area
Lake Sharpe — massive Missouri reservoir, complex tribal history.
Wildlife & Nature
Cow Creek RA — on Lake Sharpe (a Missouri River reservoir). The area’s prairie grassland, lake, and river bluffs support bald eagles, white-tailed deer, and coyotes. Walleye fishing is excellent.
Nearby Attractions
Fort Pierre — nearby — the oldest continuous European settlement in South Dakota. Pierre — nearby — state capital.
