Black Hills Area Fishing Report
Inconsistent weather has been the name of the game the last couple of weeks in the Hills. We’ve had days in the 50s, days in the 20s, sun, snow, wind, you name it. While the weather has kept locals guessing what it’ll be from day to day, the late ice season is here and with it, increasing bites as fish are beginning to move shallower in most lakes as the high sun is spurring growth again in the shallows, but also starting to eat away at shoreline access across parts of many lakes. If you don’t have them with, it is that time again to start bringing the safety gear (ice picks, safety rope, float suit/life jackets) on the ice again due to this deterioration. The main bodies on most of the lakes still have plenty of ice on them, anywhere from 18″ to 3′, but trouble may happen at the shorelines, especially on sunny, warmer days. With this in mind, here’s the current reports:
The walleye bites on Angostura and Belle Fourche Reservoirs are pretty much non-existent at present since no one is really fishing them. The lakes are currently in a state of flux between ice and open water as the shorelines have opened, but ice is still on the main bodies. But a boat was reported on Angostura on the south side so not much longer on that body of water.
On the bigger Hills lakes, Pactola is still accessible for the most part across the lake, but conditions can change very rapidly so caution getting on and back off the ice is recommended. For those getting on the lake, rainbow trout, bluegills, and perch continue to be active along the north and south marina and shoreline areas on jigs tipped with spikes, plastics, or small minnows. Lake trout are also being in the deeper water, mostly on shiners on deadsticks. The pike bite should start picking up, especially in Jenny Gulch. Sheridan has a good bluegill, trout, and crappie bite occurring in the bays by the south campground, north marina, and Dakota Point. Fish are being caught anywhere from 4′ to 12′ depths. Pink, green, and gold jigs tipped with spikes or small red plastics are getting the work done. Shorelines on the south side are starting to deteriorate rapidly as well as at the boat launch at the north marina so caution is advised. Stockade is seeing some gill and crappie activity as well, but no reports of an increase in the pike bite yet. Again, watch the shorelines if you head to fish on it. Deerfield has over 2.5′ of ice on it still and no access issues currently. The lake will probably see accessible ice conditions well into April. Those getting on it are seeing large catches of perch still, but mostly on the small side as usual with some trout and splake in the mix in less than 12′ of water.
As far as the trout lakes (Center, Lakota, Roubaix, Mitchell, Sylvan, Horsetheif) go, access issues have not been reported (except for the boat launch area at Center Lake) and trout activity continues in them with jigs and plastics catching them. Recent stockings by the Game and Fish department suggest some bigger specimens have been added to many of them, including tiger trout being placed in Sylvan. They may be worth visiting now or right after ice off to take advantage of this fact.
For more information on current fishing conditions in the Black Hills, be sure email Scott Olson at dr.auger81@hotmail.com, visit him on Facebook at Dr. Auger Ice Fishing Services, LLC, or on his website at drauger81.wixsite.com/drauger81.
