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Grab your pole!

It beats working. That’s the conclusion thousands of anglers will reach as they fish the lakes and streams across the Black Hills. Between the wild trout and trout stocked regularly by Game, Fish & Parks, there will be plenty of fish to catch.

Here is a look at the most popular area waters and what could be biting:

Black Hills lakes

• Sheridan: This traditional fishing spot southwest of Rapid City has freshly stocked rainbow trout, which have been feeding actively, as well as largemouth bass, perch and northern pike.

• Pactola: The big recreation magnet west of Rapid City has stocked rainbows, with a few big browns, an occasional stout lake trout and a scattering of bass.

• Deerfield: This high-country reservoir northwest of Hill City is also a fair bet for rainbows, with a few brook trout and splake — a cross between lake trout and brookies.

• Stockade Lake: This reservoir east of Custer has a nice mix of fish, including small northern pike, perch, largemouth bass, crappies and a few good rainbows as large as 18 inches.

• Coldbrook: This small lake near Hot Springs is a decent place for largemouth bass and rainbows.

• There also are smaller lakes and ponds scattered throughout the Hills. Almost all have been stocked with keeper-size rainbow trout.

• Within Rapid City, Canyon Lake and Memorial Pond both are popular and productive fishing spots.

Prairie reservoirs

• Orman: This reservoir on the Belle Fourche River east of Belle Fourche is a top-notch walleye spot, with fish commonly running from 15 to 20 inches, plus catfish, smallmouth bass and a few tiger muskies.

• Angostura: This wide prairie lake on the Cheyenne River south of Hot Springs is good for walleyes, crappies and smallmouth bass, although the walleyes can be tricky to find.

• New Wall dam: Near its namesake city of Wall, this is an excellent bass dam.

• Stock dams in general: Some offer explosive bass fishing, but they can also be a big question mark during a drought. Call ahead to check on fish populations.

Streams

Any discussion of streams begins with Rapid Creek, with a mix of wild and stocked trout above Pactola Dam and wild brown trout and rainbows from the dam down through the heart of Rapid City.

Spearfish Creek, in the Northern Black Hills, is a beautiful piece of water with a strong population of wild trout. Spearfish Creek offers good fishing throughout much of Spearfish Canyon and down into the town of Spearfish itself.

Castle Creek in the central Black Hills is a consistent producer and, in stretches, may rival Rapid and Spearfish creeks. Box Elder Creek in the Northern Hills can offer surprisingly high-quality trout fishing when flows are adequate.

Dramatic fluctuations in water flows in Southern Hills streams make them more dependent on GF&P fish crews for their trout populations. Spring Creek below Sheridan Lake is a beautiful trout stream with unreliable water flows.

Runoff also helps French Creek near Custer and Battle Creek near Keystone. What helps even more is stocked trout.

Published Online: March 23rd, 2007