Fishing
Black Hills, Badlands
and Lakes Region
More than 1,100 square miles of water and
a fishing season that never closes await you
Comprising nearly a third of the state, this region features the
famous Black Hills. Named by the Lakota, the mountainous Black
Hills extend 100 miles, are 50 miles wide, and reach heights of
more than 7,000 feet.
in South Dakota. The fishing section has
been divided into four regions to assist your
planning. The numbers on the map correspond
Within the Black Hills are 14 mountain lakes and more than
800 miles of meandering streams containing brook, brown and
rainbow trout. On the surrounding prairie, reservoirs and ranch
stock dams also provide angling fun. More than 50,000 stock
dams, brimming with largemouth bass, northern pike and a
variety of panfish, dot the western half of the state. Since many
are found on private land, permission is needed before fishing.
to the numbers on the chart which accompany
each region for quick reference. Refer to the
current Game, Fish and Parks Fishing Handbook
for rules and regulations regarding specific
waters and species.
Black Hills
Bell
e
Spearfish
on
3
sh C
Deadwood
Spe
21R
70
Lead
14A
60
85
135
13R
9R
25
BLACK
79
2335
29R
11R
17
32R
k
Hwy
58
67
Sheridan Lake
228
244
36R
71
385
89
ife
385
87
Loo
18
18
79
16R
p
22R
18
19
Hot Springs
14R
6R
nne
eye
Ch
71
29
For the Black Hills angler, trout is the main quarry and
are found in two primary habitats: small streams and
mountain lakes. Rainbow trout are the most abundant and
can be found throughout the Black Hills. Most waters are
regularly stocked, but in about half of the streams, quality
habitat has allowed wild trout to thrive. Refer to the
Fishing Handbook for these management areas.
36
3R
36R
8R
.
Wind Cave NP
89
2
30
Angostura Res.
◆ Spin Casting: Small spinners, crankbaits, spoons and plugs
Fishing Techniques
Mtn
16A
CUSTER
16A
69
41
35 STATE
15R Wild PARK
l
89
FOREST
n
15
7
22
Jewel Cave NM
Iro
6
87
Road
Crazy Horse
Memorial
Custer
38
23R
◆ Fly Fishing: Elk hair caddis, adams, blue wing olive, hare’s ear nymph, flashback scud nymph in sizes 16-20 or streamers in sizes 4-10
◆ Bait Fishing: Salmon eggs, marshmallows, night
crawlers, corn and grasshoppers (in season)
ore
Ru
Rushmore
Natl. Mem.
Keystone
Hill City
NATIONAL
16
a
Ro
shm
46
43 Mount
90
Rapid City
12
d
30R
51
27R
14
14
385 Rimroc
7R
HILLS
16
23
5R
62
28R
33R
31R
Deerfield
Fishing Tips
12R
17
d
34R
Roa
25R
Sturgis
14A
ad
arfi
39
2R
Ro
14A
any
10R
BEAR BUTTE
STATE PARK
.
eR
ch
79
r
ou
20
45
Most Fished Species: Brown, brook and rainbow trout and
largemouth bass
Popular Waters: Deerfield Reservoir, Sylvan Lake, Pactola
Reservoir, Stockade Lake, Sheridan Lake, Rapid Creek, French
Creek, Spearfish Creek, Spring Creek and Castle Creek
F
18
64
R
r
ive
A slow and stealthy approach is needed for fishing small
stream trout. Keeping a low profile and using brush and
boulders to conceal your approach assists in success.
Local fly fishing shops and country stores can be helpful
to determine which flies and baits are working during a
particular season.
385
South Dakota Fishing and Hunting Guide 1
Prairie Reservoirs
Most Fished Species: Walleye, perch, smallmouth and
largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish and northern
pike
Popular Waters: Belle Fourche Reservoir, Angostura
Reservoir, Shadehill Reservoir, Little Missouri River,
White River, Gardner Lake, Coal Springs Dam and
Murdo Dam
Fishing Tips
◆ Spin Casting: Spinners, crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, spoons and jigs with plastic tail bodies
Missouri R.
18R
Gra
nd
75
74
24R
er
Lit
tle
31
63
South Gra
nd River
28
24
68
So
uth
Nor
th M
M
ore
au
57
59
ore
au
Ri
Riv
Moreau River
er
ver
26R
212
Faith
27
55
50
56
A popular lure for bass and walleye is the jig
with a plastic body. Many anglers tip this with
their favorite bait, such as a minnow, and slowly
retrieve it in a jigging motion. Bass anglers have
success worming with plastic worms. A small
teardrop jig tipped with a wiggler is a favorite of
panfish anglers. 73
49
Belle Fourche
Be
ll
eF
30R
34
ne
.
en
hey
R
Deadwood
BEAR BUTTE
STATE PARK
he
rc
8
3
ou
Spearfish
Sturgis
4R
R.
C
8R
73
76
52
90
Rapid City
8R
79
Mount Rushmore N MEM
Keystone
Badlands NP
5
y
64
2
8R
11
Angostura Res.
Kadoka
240
385
2 South Dakota Fishing and Hunting Guide
37R
83
r
ve
Ri
ite 37R
h
W
18
18
77
90
Murdo
White River
Hot Springs 10
Edgemont 29
26
48
4
er
he
47
Riv
37R
54
73
ite
8R
ne
en
16
37R
e
Riv
r
Cave NP
C
3R Wind
Wall 9 72
44 33
CUSTER
STATE
PARK
Custer
Jewel Cave NM
Philip
36 53
1
Martin
13 40
42
Wh
385
32
61
Mission
37
tle
12
66
Lit
14
21
Cheye
Elk Creek
12R
nne R
.
Lead
30
On the prairie, the fishing varies as much as the
seasons in South Dakota. Waters on the prairie
range from 8,000-acre reservoirs to two-acre
ponds. Walleye and bass keep most anglers busy
in these settings, but perch, bluegill, crappie and
northern pike also provide angling excitement.
Fishing techniques range from bait fishing with
a bobber to aggressive spin fishing with jerkbaits
and crankbaits.
73
17
85
4R
Fishing Techniques
17R
19R
34
◆ Bait Fishing: Crayfish, night crawlers, frogs, wigglers, leeches and minnows
12 Lemmon
Riv
83
Lakes and Reservoirs
Allen Dam
Angostura Reservoir
✜ Bear Butte Lake
✜ Belvidere Lake
Berner Dam
Biltmore Lake (Lakota)
Bismarck Lake
B.L.M. Pond
✱ Bloom Dam
✱ ✜ Bochert Dam
Buffalo Gap Natl. Grassland Ponds
Canyon Lake
✱ Cedar Creek Dams
Cement Plant Ponds
Center Lake
Church Dam
Coal Springs Dam Coldbrook Reservoir
Cottonwood Springs
Coxes Lake
Curlew Lake
Custer Municipal Pond
Dalton Lake
Dam No. 73
Deerfield Lake
Draper Dam
Durkee Lake
East Lemmon Lake
Edgemont Dam
Fiddle Creek Dam
Flat Creek Dam
Fort Pierre National Grassland Ponds
✱ Gage Dam
Gardner Lake
Grace Coolidge Dams
✜ Haynes Dam
Hidden Timber Lake
Horsethief Lake
Iron Creek Lake
LaCreek Refuge Pools
Legion Lake
Little White River Project
Major Lake
Mako Sica Dam
Mirror Lake
Mitchell Lake
Murdo Dam
Murdo Railroad Dam
Newell City Pond
Newell Lake
Newton Fork Dam
New Underwood Lake
New Wall Lake
✱ Okaton Dam
Opal Dam
Orman Dam
Owens Lake
Pactola Reservoir
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
Warmwater Species
Coldwater Species
Facilities
.
ccess
icap A
g
Hand
leanin
Fish C ock
D
Ramp
Boat
Toilet
ing
Camp
out
ow Tr
Rainb Trout
Lake
rout
roat T
Cutth
ut
n Tro
Brow
Trout
Brook on
lm
ok Sa
ye
Chino
Walle
ie
Musk
Tiger eon
Sturg
eye
Saug
er
Saug
Perch
ike
ern P
North
ie
Musk
ie
Crapp
h
Catfis
ad
Bullhe
ill
Blueg
Bass
White ss
Ba
mouth
Small ck Bass
Ro
Bass
mouth
Large
ge
Acrea
r
umbe
Map N
Black Hills,
Badlands
and
Lakes Region
4
4,275 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
125 ■ ■
38 ■ ■
10 ■
11
25 ■
10 18 ■ ■ 15 ■ ■ ■
– ■
25
17
5
25
15 ■ ■
82 ■ ■ ■
32 ■
– ■
4
136 ■ ■ ■ ■
3.5
3
4 ■
414
12 ■ ■
77 ■ ■ ■ ■
164 ■ ■ ■
2.5 ■
10 ■ ■
203 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
– ■ ■ ■ ■
25 ■ ■
203 ■ ■ ■ ■
–
10 ■
20 ■ ■ ■ ■
16
24 ■ ■
3,900 ■ ■ ■ ■ 9
200 ■ ■ ■
4
4 ■
9
5
41 ■ ■ ■ ■
18 ■ ■ ■ ■
20 ■ ■
183 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
–
20 ■ ■ ■
37 ■ ■ ■
25 ■ ■ ■
28 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
8,000 ■ ■ ■ ■ 96 ■ ■ ■ ■
785 ■ ■
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
■
■ ■ ■ ■
■
■
■
■
■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■
■
■ ■ ■
■
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■
■ ■
■
■ ■ ■ ■
■
■
■
■
■ ■
■
■
■ ■
■ ■ ■
■ ■
■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■
■
■ ■
■
■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■
■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
■ ■
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
✱ Limited Access ✜ Marginal Waters/Intermittent Fishing
South Dakota Fishing and Hunting Guide 3
Lakes and Reservoirs
Rabbit Creek Dam
Reausaw Lake
Richland Dam
Roubaix Lake
Shadehill Reservoir
✱✜ Sherberth Dam
Sheridan Lake
Shulte Dam
Slate Creek Dam
Sorum Dam
Stockade Lake
Strawberry Hill Pond
Sylvan Lake
✱ Tennyson Dam
Tisdale Dam
✱ Vesey Dam
Vobejda Dam
Wicksville Lake
Williams Dam
Rivers and Streams
Battle Creek
Bear Butte Creek
Beaver Creek
Belle Fourche River
Box Elder Creek
Cascade Creek
Castle Creek
Cheyenne River
Cold Spring Creek
Crow Creek
Ditch Creek
Elk Creek
Englewood Creek
Fall River
Flynn Creek
French Creek
Grand River
Grand River, N Fork
Grand River, S Fork
Grizzly Creek
Hanna Creek
Hot Brook Creek
Iron Creek
Little Missouri River
Little Spearfish Creek
Moreau River
Newton Fork Creek
North Fork Rapid Creek
Rapid Creek
Redwater River
Rhodes Fork Creek
Slate Creek
South Fork Rapid Creek
Spearfish Creek
Spring Creek
Stockade Beaver Creek
White River
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
Warmwater Species
17 ■
5
16 ■ ■ 6
4,693 ■ ■ ■
2 ■ ■ ■
385 ■ ■
8 ■ ■ ■ 4
87 ■ ■ ■ 130 ■ ■ ■ ■
2
19
56 ■ ■ 20 ■ ■ ■
8
10 ■ ■
6 ■ ■ ■
20 ■ ■
■
■ ■
■ ■
■
■
■
■
Facilities
48
–
–
133
–
3
–
288 ■ ■
–
–
–
–
–
7
–
62
144
25
30
–
2
3
–
53
–
289
2
–
86
41
–
14
–
–
78
–
407
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■
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■
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■
■ ■
■
Total miles
1R
2R
3R­
4R
5R
6R
7R
8R
9R
10R
11R
12R
13R
14R
15R
16R
17R
18R
19R
20R
21R
22R
23R
24R
25R
26R
27R
28R
29R
30R
31R
32R
33R
34R
35R
36R
37R
✱ Limited Access ✜ Marginal Waters/Intermittent Fishing
4 South Dakota Fishing and Hunting Guide
Coldwater Species
.
ccess
icap A
g
Hand
leanin
Fish C ock
D
Ramp
Boat
Toilet
ing
Camp
out
ow Tr
Rainb Trout
Lake
rout
roat T
Cutth
ut
n Tro
Brow
Trout
Brook on
lm
ok Sa e
y
Chino
Walle
ie
Musk
Tiger eon
Sturg
eye
Saug
er
Saug
Perch
ike
ern P
North
ie
Musk
ie
Crapp
h
Catfis
ad
Bullhe
ill
Blueg
Bass
White
Bass
mouth ss
Small
Ba
Rock
Bass
mouth
Large
ge
Acrea
r
umbe
Map N
Black Hills,
Badlands
and
Lakes Region
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