With the subzero temperatures of early last week past, very warm temperatures are in store for the Hills in the next week. Temps in the 50s and even low 60s next week will bring lots of people out onto the ice, but these temps could cause some ice degradation, particularly along the shores. Caution should be advised if you’re looking to get out on the lakes with ATVs or UTVs, particularly Pactola, as the main body of the lake only froze over a couple of weeks ago. Walking may be the best way to go until temperatures get back to more seasonal ones after this heat wave leaves. With these conditions in mind, here’s the current fishing conditions around the region:
Angostura Reservoir ice is iffy for the most part except for a few of the bays. No fishing reports are available currently due to these conditions. Belle Fourche Reservoir is seeing a fairly good walleye bite currently around the dam area, but no reports are coming in as to what depth and lures they are using, probably due to fishermen not wanting to bring more fishing pressure on the lake. But fluke-style plastics have been reported as being a bait of choice to use.
Pactola Reservoir is seeing a lot of fishing activity especially for the lake’s lake trout population. Some very nice specimens have been coming up thanks to white tubes in anywhere from 40-65′ of water. Some pike activity being reported from the Jenny Gulch area and some nice rainbow trout are being caught along the southern shoreline areas. Deerfield is seeing activity from perch fishermen and women as it has anywhere from 12″ to 20″ of ice. Lake trout continue to be sough after as well. Sheridan is a regular city on the weekends, with loads of people hitting the lake, going after perch, bluegill, and pike in preparation for a weekend tournament. Small tungsten jigs tipped with red maggots are seeing the most action. Reports indicate that a near 31″ walleye was also pulled out very recently, which will bring out others searching for more ‘eyes like that. Stockade is seeing a fairly good panfish bite on the north and west sides of the lakes with a few pike showing up on tip-ups. Red plastics and small jigs are working on the panfish in 12’ of water or less.
The trout lakes (Sylvan, Center, Roubaix, Legion, Mitchell, and Lakota) are seeing fairly good trout bites happening, with Center standing out as having the hottest bite and plenty of people trying to catch a tiger trout or one of the larger rainbows stocked in the lake this past fall. 5mm jigs tipped with white or pink plastics or waxworms are seeing most of the action. For more information on the fishing of the Black Hills region, get in touch with Scott Olson at dr.auger81@hotmail.com, on Facebook, or through his website, drauger81.wixsite.com/drauger81.