Glacial Lakes region South Dakota 2020

[curtisce]

Waht started as a long Memorial weekend tripin 2013 has morphed into 11 days of fishingin NE SD. Galcial lakes area contians over 30 lakes within a short drive of our campsite at Roy Lake state park.This year my brother and I stayed ddown south at LYNN LAKE LODGE for 4 days and then moved up to roy Lake for the remainder. WT  were lower than hoped when we arrived, 52degrees and warmer weather that the weatherman had promised didn't materialize. That combined with several days of 15-25 mph wiunds made the first few days tough. we managed to find some nice pike for the frying pan the first day. We found a small bay with shallow water that had warmed and found some post spawn walleyes. All but 3 were too big, had 2 @ 6.5# nad one 7#. mostly we targeted bass which means you could easily pickup some walleye or northern.

   Finally by Friday it WT hit the 60's and we started finding bass up on the beds. The smallmouth typically will spawn on rock reefs and 3 lakes had big reefs to fish on.several others joined us for the weekend so we had 2 boats with 3 each. we also ha 6 tents in our campsite which the junior ranger in his uniform complete with mask said was 5 over the limit. He checked with his superviser and we never heard back from him.  

Best results 

4 smallmoth in one afternoon total weight 18#

 Our 3 walleye 19# plus 3 for the pan

3 hours fishing on the reef for 3 of us 38 smallmouth 2 1/2- 3 1/2# 

my best smallmouth 5.8# 19 1/2"  Didn't enter him in the contest put a tape on him but didn't photo it.

[Phil Lilley]

I think your SM would have tied Bill Jr.  We would have had to cut the plaque in two...

 

[curtisce]

1 hour ago, Phil Lilley said:

I think your SM would have tied Bill Jr.  We would have had to cut the plaque in two...

 

If it was lenght plus girth I know I would have won. I know the rules were public waters but I still feel I would have been cheating . I lost a LM at the boat that definetely would have won.

[Ham]

That’s Awesome Curtisce! I’d like to make it up there for a couple weeks some day. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

11 hours ago, Phil Lilley said:

I think your SM would have tied Bill Jr.  We would have had to cut the plaque in two...

 

I like this idea going forward.  Makes a great story down the road for the winners.....

[DADAKOTA]

Any yellow perch in those lakes?

[curtisce]

23 hours ago, DADAKOTA said:

Any yellow perch in those lakes?

typically small ones. they get some bigger ones through the ice.

 

[curtisce]

On 5/29/2020 at 6:30 AM, Ham said:

That’s Awesome Curtisce! I’d like to make it up there for a couple weeks some day. 

It is an interesting area to explore. First year up we fished only at Roy Lake. Now we probably have a dozen or so. We'll usually fish 2 lakes a day. The lakes in this area appeared after several years of heavy snowffall and rain. You can see it when you see barns in the middle of lakes and many of the roads have been raised after flooding out. Up till 2018 the levels were dropping but the last 2 years have raised the levels to new heights. The main hiway north has now flooded. It was about a foot over the road, they closed it to cars but not trucks.

It's getting some attention from bass fisherman. Used to be you'd rarely see a bass boat or anyone fishing for bass. This year one day on a trophy  bass and walleye lake where it's pretty much catch and release there were 8 boats, all bass boats.

Flooded hiway