Mobridge Webcam – Lake Oahe on the Missouri River

The Mobridge Webcam looks south from the west side of Mobridge, South Dakota, across West Grand Crossing to Lake Oahe, the broad reservoir on the Missouri River. A mowed lawn and a belt of trees fill the middle of the frame, with a rail line running along their edge, and beyond them a pale sandy flat slopes down to open water. On the far shore, low treeless bluffs run across the whole width of the picture. The open plains sky takes up much of the view, so the camera is as useful for reading the weather as it is for checking the lake. Light on the water changes hour to hour, from flat gray under cloud to a bright silver sheen when the sun breaks through, and in mid October some of the trees along the tracks turn yellow.

About Mobridge

Mobridge sits on the east bank of the Missouri River in Walworth County, in north central South Dakota, at an elevation of about 506 meters (1,660 feet). The town was founded in 1906, and its name started as railroad shorthand: Mobridge is a contracted form of Missouri Bridge, the designation for the bridge the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad built across the river here. That original bridge was demolished in the early 1960s. The 2020 census counted 3,261 residents.

The water in the frame is Lake Oahe, the reservoir held back by Oahe Dam far downstream. The Mobridge Webcam sits on the north side of West Grand Crossing, the main road through town, which carries US Highway 12 and SD Highway 20. From that height it looks over the road, with a fast-food restaurant and its parking lot on the left, then across the trees and the tracks to the shoreline. On the right of the picture, a long spit of sand curls out into the lake.

The town is also on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Downtown, the Brown Palace Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Mobridge Masonic Temple, completed in 1923, is built in the Egyptian Revival style.

Weather and Climate in Mobridge

Mobridge has a continental climate with long, cold winters and hot summers. January averages a high of -2.7 C (27 F) and a low of -14.2 C (6 F), and about 79 centimeters (31 inches) of snow falls in a typical year. In midwinter the reservoir freezes over, and the town holds an ice fishing tournament out on the ice. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 30.8 C (87 F) and lows near 16.4 C (62 F). The extremes recorded at the town airport run from -42 C (-44 F) up to 47 C (116 F).

Spring and fall are short and changeable. April afternoons usually reach around 12 C (53 F), with nights hovering near freezing, while October highs average about 14 C (58 F) and lows about 5 C (41 F). Annual precipitation totals only about 457 millimeters (18 inches), and in mid October the grass on the far bluffs shows tan rather than green, while the lawn in the foreground is still green.

Things to Do Near Mobridge

The Sitting Bull Monument stands across the river on the west bank, off SD Highway 1806 on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, overlooking the Missouri. Korczak Ziolkowski, the sculptor behind the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills, made the granite bust, which was set up in 1953 after relatives and the Dakota Memorial Association moved what they said were Sitting Bull’s remains from Fort Yates, North Dakota. That claim is still disputed. Beside it, the Sakakawea Monument was paid for by Mobridge schoolchildren in the 1920s.

Back in town, the Scherr-Howe building at 212 North Main Street holds ten murals by the Sioux artist Oscar Howe, painted in 1941 and 1942 with Works Progress Administration funding. They show Dakota life at the time of first contact and the meetings with settlers, and visitors can check in at the Chamber office on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to see them, with an audio tour available. The Klein Museum, about 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) northwest of the camera at 1820 West Grand Crossing, displays Native American and pioneer artifacts. At the end of Main Street, the Walleye Up statue, a scrap-metal rodeo cowboy riding a walleye, says plenty about what brings most visitors here. Walleye fishing on Lake Oahe and pheasant hunting are the big draws, and the Indian Creek, Swan Creek and Lake Hiddenwood recreation areas are all close to town.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more of the northern plains and the Missouri River country, try these cameras next.

• Gregory Buttes Webcam
• Omaha Webcam
• Lake McConaughy Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Mobridge located?

Mobridge is in Walworth County in north central South Dakota, on the east bank of the Missouri River where it widens into Lake Oahe. It lies about 130 kilometers (81 miles) north of Pierre, the state capital, and about 151 kilometers (94 miles) west of Aberdeen, both measured in a straight line.

What can you see on the Mobridge Webcam?

The camera faces south across West Grand Crossing, a lawn, a belt of trees and a rail line to Lake Oahe, with a sandy spit on the right and treeless bluffs along the far shore. A restaurant parking lot sits at the left edge, and the upper half of the frame is open sky.

What is the weather like in Mobridge?

Winters are cold, with January highs around -2.7 C (27 F) and lows near -14.2 C (6 F), and about 79 centimeters (31 inches) of snow a year. Summers are hot, with July highs averaging 30.8 C (87 F). Precipitation is low, at about 457 millimeters (18 inches) a year.

What lake is next to Mobridge, South Dakota?

Mobridge sits on Lake Oahe, the reservoir formed on the Missouri River by Oahe Dam. The stretch of water on the camera is part of that reservoir, and the bluffs beyond it are on the opposite bank of the river.

How did Mobridge get its name?

The name is a contracted form of Missouri Bridge, the railroad designation for the bridge the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad built across the river at this spot. The town was founded in 1906, and the original bridge was demolished in the early 1960s.

Where is the Sitting Bull Monument near Mobridge?

The monument is across the Missouri River from town, off SD Highway 1806 on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, with the Sakakawea Monument beside it. The bust was sculpted by Korczak Ziolkowski and placed there in 1953.

Is Mobridge good for walleye fishing?

Walleye fishing on Lake Oahe is the main reason many visitors come to Mobridge, which is why a statue of a cowboy riding a walleye stands at the end of Main Street. Local fishing events include the Denny Palmer Tournament and a winter ice fishing tournament, and the Mobridge Webcam is a quick way to check the wind and cloud over the lake before heading out.

Source: Mobridge Area Chamber of Commerce