Black Hills Region Fishing Report
Warm weather has continued to hold in the area, preventing any normal ice buildup that usually locks up the smaller trout ponds in the area first. However, the very mild start to winter in the area is keeping the fish bites going as water temps continue to drop and fish are setting up in their first ice locations. Shore fishing is going pretty good and most boat launches are still in on most of the area lakes, keeping boats on the water much longer than usual. A cold front coming on Thanksgiving will start to lock up the smaller ponds in the area over the next couple of weeks as the temperatures will return to normal, signaling the start of the ice fishing season by the beginning of December hopefully. With this in mind, here’s the current fishing report in the Black Hills region.
The walleye bite on Angostura and Belle Fourche Reservoirs is still progressing as the fish have moved shallower as the baitfish have returned where the water is warmer. The fish are not quite on fire yet, but limits are being caught on a variety of presentations. Pactola Reservoir has a good rainbow trout going on at present along the southern bays and marina areas, with many specimens over 18″ being caught. Minnows below a slip bobber are working best at present. Bluegills are also biting around the south marina on small minnows or chunks of crawler. The pike bite, however, is still going slow. Sheridan Lake also has a good trout and bluegill bite going on along the bays and north marina areas. Perch and pike bites are slow at present. Deerfield has the typical perch bite going on, though sorting is required. No recent reports from Stockade Lake, but this time of year, pike can usually be caught in the weedy and shallow bays.
The trout ponds (Dalton, Roubaix, Sylvan, Mitchell, Center, Horsethief) are currently seeing very little action, mostly because the tourist season is over for the year and most local residents are waiting for them to lock up for first ice. Many were freshly stocked in October, which will make for some great fishing on them once they are locked up. 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.