Favorite SD Water??

[Rost]

Things have been slow around here lately. The mid winter blues may be setting in. Maybe it's time for a fun topic..

So, what is your favorite lake/river to fish in SD and why?

My favorite lake is probably Madison in the spring simply because it is so close and I have done well on it in the past. Towards June I like Poinsett and and the 81 ponds. I can't complain about some of the fish we pulled out of Thompson either..

So what lakes do you enjoy?

[prov1900]

Roger that on the mid winter blues. Did get out and fished down below Yankton in the boat a few weeks ago when it was nice. Ice fishing here is long gone with the weather. Lake Thompson is my favorite, but then again, I havent fished a lot in SD. I like the campgrounds, the cabins, and the people seem great. For a two hour drive, it is pure Heaven. Havent killed the fish there, but something keeps me coming back. Maybe this will be the year.

[ifishsd]

Brant Lake is one of my Favorites. Always seem to catch something there in the summer. Thompson is also a favorite. Just hope it does dry up in 5 years.

[Mike Walerak]

This is a tough one. I will rank them in my order.

#1 Lake Sinai- A love it or hate it lake, I happen to love it. The diverse structure and exceptional quality of fish keep me going back a few days a week.

#2 81 ponds- Too close to town not to fish it on a regular basis. Although last year was kind of a bust for me, it has treated me very well for big fish in the past. Since there is not a good access on the lake there is a sense of solitude I get when I fish the lake.

# 3 Lake Sharpe- if you have ever been there during a hot spring bite you know what I mean.

# 4 Lake Oahe- The midsummer walleye bite can be phenominal and you can't help but to look at the bluffs and admire the beauty of the landscape.

#5 Bitter Lake- Sheer numbers of good fish have been driving me crazy since I have been there last. With the mercury warning on the lake, most of the fish are being put back so it is only going to get better.

mw

[Skis]

1. Francis Case - yes, I have become a river rat

2. Waubay

3. Oahe

4. All of my friend's little sloughs in the winter!!

[Tyler Holm]

It’s hard to pinpoint one general body of water that is my favorite. It all depends on the species of fish that is targeted and the time of year, or even the time of day.

Waubay and Bitter are great for perch and eyes.

Richmond Lake is a ridiculous bluegill fishery and can give up eyes and crappies.

Oahe is still up there, but its not what it use to be.

If fished they heck out of several sloughs and secret rearing ponds that house limits of that “fish of a lifetime”

The Jim River can be incredible at ice out for pig eyes.

Overall, I can’t pick a favorite body of water, but I can say that perch fishing atop of hard water is my favorite type of fishing.

[SD_waterfowler]

My favorite SD water is any one that holds large rafts of honkers and mallards. Fish? who cares...

In all reality when the smoke clears from shooting snows this spring, more than likely you'll find me out at Francis Case, anywhere between Big Bend and Chamberlain

[Aberdak]

I had one spring at Lynn lake that was memorable for me. The Walleyes were in the Shallows for what seemed like 3 weeks. I was wader fishing and casting floating rapalas firetiger pattern. There was a couple of times that I had my two fish in a couple of casts, even getting the one 20 inch plus fish. An incidental crappie would also cooperate on an occasion. Also pick up my first non keeper muskie and and occasional northern pike. Only had one bad expierence that spring, I was enjoying some walleye afterglow on my way back to Aberdeen and I was dinged for a speeding ticket coming into Groton, SD from the North. That figures out at about $35.00 per pound that night. Oh well that would be cheap for a boat fisherman.

[Team Otter]

I'm partial to either Thompson or Sinai. I love casting cranks shallow and pitching jigs to timber. Both of these bodies of water offer great bites of each of these techniques, which are tough to beat in my opinion.

[percherman]

My vote would have to go to Oahe. From ice out pike to awesome years gone buy of catching smelt on a tear drop, then catching salmon on the smelt, through the ice, to the wonder pig eye years to what we have evolved to today, Oahe can frustrate you for hours and reward you ten fold in one. Always on your mind when you set the hook, could this be the unexpected one? I have seen 2# eyes being reeled in get mauled by 40" plus pike leaving nothing but a little meat and the head. These things plus the beauty of the rolling hills and all the wildlife keep me coming back and put Oahe at the top of my list.

[Captain B.R.K]

My favorite is Waubay Lake. Consistent bite happens almost everytime I get out there each early March.

Mike- Speaking of Bitter, how has the fishing been out there lately?!?

[PERCHJR]

Well.......the old Waubay Lake, Clear Lake for the smallies, Roy Lake for pretty much any fish, Pickerel Lake for eyes, crappies and perch, Enemy Swim Lake for gills, crappies and eyes, Lynn Lake for eyes, perch!!! I could go on forever here so I will stop, and of course I have about 3 secret lakes of my own that I have to keep to myself that are amazing bodies of water!!!

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FISHING!!!

[Walleye71]

1. Waubay

2. Bitter

3. Oahe

Waubay number 1 because you can catch walleyes using just about any method you want to use. There always seems to be bite somewhere on the lake. I wish you could keep more walters from it however.

[walleyeking#8]

My favorite so far is lake francis case. Almost always find some eyes that are willing to bite.

[Walleyeguy31]

Waubay

Pickerel

Swan

Antelope

Thompson

Bitter

This comes from a Minnesota boy that has been to SD fishing maybe 20 times. Pickerel is great for Crappies and Waubay and the rest are good for Perch and Walleye.

[treble]

Theres probably not too many people who know about Bullhead Lake. A couple of years ago we pulled a bunch of good walleyes out of there between 21" and 26" until the word got out and they were fished out of the small lake within two weeks. Im sure there are a few more swimming around in there but they are gonna be very thinned out compared to those couple of weeks of outstanding fishing.

[webbs]

Waubay lake and Bitter Lake are both great lakes, but I personally think that Enemy Smim is my favorate. It's one of the only lakes around that you can catch any species of fish that are "Proud Anglers" at any given time. Back when I cared about getting patches, there were times that we would way in Big Smallies, Crappie's, BlueGills, and occasionally nice Walleys. That and the simple fact that you never know what you have on the line until you bring it up and see it.

[sdaksteve]

After growing up on the Missouri my favorite is the "RIVER". I consider Lake Franis Case home, but I fish West Wheeler to the North Dakota line. This no 10 minute drive anymore. It takes 5-7 hours for me to go the river, but I go back several times a year. Yes I'm a Minnesota fisherman now, but I still do the SD wave.

I do not mean to change the subject, but Mille Lacs is the place. I use SD tatics and we catch 8-10s every year.

[eagle-walleye]

I would also like to join Rost with Lake Madison. One of the reasons is that I live on the lake and It has been one of the best years for me scense I've caught a proud angler walleye and several limits when I go. The crappie fishing is also excellent there.

Eagle-walleye

Justin Brunsvig