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Nat'l Recreation Area

Photo: Harry Weddington, U.S. Army Corps of EngineersPublic domainWikipedia

Nat'l Recreation Area

Lake Sharpe

South Dakota · SD

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We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this park using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 20, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

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Park entrance fees, hours, and ranger-issued closures change without notice and may be out of date here. Always confirm current conditions, fees, and access restrictions with the managing agency before you travel. Outdoors is not responsible for closures, fines, or denied entry resulting from outdated information.

Big Bend Dam, SD takes its name from the unique bend in the Missouri River 7 miles upstream from the dam. At this point in its course, the Missouri makes almost a complete loop, traveling 25 miles before returning to the "neck" where the land is not quite a mile wide. The 19 Lake Sharpe recreation areas vary from primitive to highly developed and provide opportunities for camping, boating, picnicking, and fishing.

Source: recreation.gov

From Wikipedia

Lake Sharpe is a large reservoir impounded by Big Bend Dam on the Missouri River in central South Dakota, United States. The lake has an area of 56,884 acres (230.20 km2) and a maximum depth of 78 ft (24 m). Lake Sharpe is approximately 80 mi (130 km) long, with a shoreline of 200 mi (320 km). Lake Sharpe is the 54th largest reservoir in the United States. The lake starts near Ft. Thompson and stretches upstream to Oahe Dam, near Pierre. The lake is located within the following counties: Buffalo, Lyman, Hyde, Hughes, and Stanley. The Big Bend of the Missouri is about 7 miles (11 km) north of the dam.

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Hunting in this park

Hunting is generally prohibited in this National Park Service unit

Verify current park-specific rules with the National Park Service before planning any hunt. See NPS regulations

Within ~100 miles

Parks near Lake Sharpe

Big Bend Dam Lake Sharpe Sd — Good Soldier

South Dakota

0.0 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

Big Bend Dam Lake Sharpe Sd — Right Tailrace

South Dakota

0.0 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

Big Bend Dam Lake Sharpe Sd — Tailrace Left

South Dakota

0.1 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

Big Bend Dam Lake Sharpe Sd — Spillway Dike

South Dakota

0.2 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

Big Bend Dam Lake Sharpe Sd — Old Fort Thompson

South Dakota

0.1 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

Big Bend Dam Lake Sharpe Sd — Spillway Overlook

South Dakota

0.0 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

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