Cool nights are starting turn the leaves colors in the Black Hills region, but warm days are keeping the bite from taking off much by keeping water temps up. Some locations are seeing fairly good fishing opportunities, but other species are still hard to catch and will probably remain that way until daytime temps start to drop. With weather conditions continuing to be stable for the next week, here’s the current fishing report for the Black Hills:
The walleye bite at both Belle Fourche and Angostura reservoirs continues to be slow as water temps are still in the low to mid 60s. Lots of searching using a variety of presentations including bottom bouncing or Lindy rigs have had some success in depths of 20′ or more. There is still plenty of baitfish swimming around as well, complicating matters. But the bass bite is still running fairly well in the weedy bays on topwater presentations and crappie can be caught around the tire barrier at Angostura.
Pactola Reservoir has a good rainbow bite happening currently along the southern shorelines and bays with some good specimens over 20″ in the mix . Spinners and slip bobbers with chunks of worms on the business end are catching most. Slip bobbering is also catching bluegills and crappie in the bays. Lake trout activity has slowed down as well as the pike bite and will probably remain that way until water temps start going down. Sheridan Reservoir has a decent bluegill bite happening around Dakota Point and Chipper Bay and some largemouth are also being caught in those areas. No pike bites reported lately. Deerfield Reservoir has the usual perch bite going on, but lots of sorting is required if you’re looking to make a meal. The rainbow bite is slow as well at present. Stockade Lake is seeing some bluegill and crappie bites, but the bite most sought after, that of bass and pike in the lake, is almost non-existent at present mostly likely due to the high water temps. The arrival of cooler fall temperatures should turn that around.
The bite on the trout lakes (Sylvan, Center, Lakota, Mitchell, Horsethief) have slowed down a bit from high summer catch rates, but cooler temps will help that out. Currently slip bobbers with a chunk of worm and a nibblet or two of corn have having the best success rates. For more information on fishing in the Black Hills region, contact Scott Olson at dr.auger81@hotmail.com or through his website at drauger81.wixsite.com/drauger81.