Roy Lake, which is located in northeast South Dakota north of Webster, is one of the best multispecies fisheries in the region. Roy Lake offers spectacular bluegill fishing, quality smallmouth bass and largemouth bass, an abundance of northern pike, quality crappie, yellow perch, and of course walleye.
The diversity of species, and excellent fishing opportunities for all of them, means that at any given point of the day in any weather there’s a bite to be found. However, anglers looking to target Roy Lake walleye need to understand how light conditions play a key role in when the walleye bite is on across the fishery.
Water Clarity Factors
Roy Lake features extremely clear water with sprawling vegetation throughout the lake. The lake features a relatively large basin type area, with depths between 18-22 feet, but plenty of other structural elements as well.
There are several large, weedy bays throughout the lake that are full of northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie. Two relatively large humps adjacent to the main basin, which also feature abundant weed growth, provide more classic main lake structure. These hold bluegill, smallmouth bass, crappie, and of course northern pike too.
A combination of longer points as well as tighter shoreline contours with inside turns can also position fish. Nearly all of these structural elements feature vegetation, which leads to the abundance of bluegill, yellow perch, and other forage. Rock piles are also scattered throughout the lake, and shoreline docks and boat lifts can present a seasonal structure.
Walleye can be caught in all of these areas, but one general trend that remains throughout the reservoir is the key for a quality walleye bite being low light conditions. Anglers seeking to catch walleye at Roy Lake should target the early mornings, evenings, and even into the darker hours.
This is for a number of reasons. The biggest reason is the clear water, which contributes to both this deep weed growth and specific walleye bite windows. The primary forage being yellow perch, bluegill, and other young-of-the-year fish is also a factor.
Vegetation Factors
Anglers targeting walleye on Roy Lake should be prepared for weed growth all the way out to 18 feet of water, with weed stalks ranging from a few feet tall to even 5-8 feet below the surface. These large weed stalks will provide shade, food, and comfort for walleyes throughout the season but will also make fishing challenging.
The tall weed stalks make trolling crankbaits for walleye difficult. This is because many times the walleye may be sitting near the bottom, enjoying the shade and comfort these large weed stalks provide. This means to effectively fish your bait without fouling on the weed stalks means the running depth will be significantly above where these fish are holding.
Throughout the day, this can make fishing near impossible. Add in the constant northern pike, which are willing to come above the stalks to take a crankbait, and walleye fishing throughout the day in the weeds is very difficult.
However, in the early mornings and evenings is when the walleye will move up to actively forage. Throughout this time walleyes are actively searching for their meals, are comfortable to be in shallower water, and are within range of the running depth of crankbaits or at minimum willing to come out of the stalks and strike.
Generally speaking, this bite will occur throughout the first hour or so of the day and again around sunset. This bite window can be extended on either side with overcast clouds and/or wind conditions, but for the most part anglers should plan for the hour around sunrise and sunset the highest percentage opportunity to catch a walleye on Roy Lake.
One additional bite that will present itself is a true night time bite. As dark conditions take hold, walleye will suspend off the edges of the main lake humps actively cruising and searching for meals. This is not as fast a bite as the sunrise and sunset windows, but does present an extended opportunity for anglers looking to target walleye on the fishery.
Forage Factors
When considering these bite windows, it’s just as important to consider the forage the walleye are feeding on in addition to their overall comfort. Roy Lake has an abundance of small bluegills, with many 3-4 inches. These bluegill make an excellent meal for walleyes, particularly the larger walleyes, but also do very well in clear water, clear conditions, and see best when the light is bright.
This means that throughout the day bluegill will be shallower than where walleyes prefer, will be more active, and will be most able to see and escape a potential predator. It’s when the light begins to dwindle that walleye will be able to use their excellent low light vision capabilities to take advantage of this food source and be comfortable while doing so.
The same is true for yellow perch, which also are quite common in the shallower weeds. Perch see very well in bright conditions, and while they do prefer cooler water than bluegills, will also be found quite shallow throughout most of the day.
All of these factors set the stage for conditions in which when the bluegills and yellow perch are losing their best vision capabilities, no longer actively feeding in shallower water, and walleyes are more comfortable to move into shallower water for a strong, predictable bite window.
Anglers wishing to target walleye on Roy Lake throughout the day are best fishing either jigs or slip bobbers along the weed stalks where fish are seeking shade. However, anglers wishing to have the best fishing should use the brighter conditions of the day to enjoy the bluegill, bass, and pike fishing while they search for where they feel the highest percentage area for walleyes will be.
Once the sun begins to sink below the horizon, and these conditions take shape, that’s when the light is right to enjoy some spectacular walleye fishing on Roy Lake. As the darkness continues to take hold, don’t be afraid to focus suspended along the main lake humps for a continued bite window well into the night.
Roy Lake has a bite for everyone, and walleye anglers can expect both good numbers of fish as well as the opportunity for a true trophy. Anglers that get the light right for walleyes often enjoy a lights out bite on Roy Lake!
