Cooler fall temperatures have brought a new angling opportunity to the state of South Dakota. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) has completed their fall rainbow trout stockings, which occur across the state each fall.
Throughout much of the state, the water is too warm for rainbow trout to survive the summer months. Fortunately, as the water begins to cool in the fall rainbow trout are stocked to provide fall fishing opportunities, and a unique species to target throughout the ice season.
Community fisheries are stocked heavily with the intent of maintaining a high catch rate fishery for both young and new anglers. This provides an opportunity for youth and their families to catch fish close to home, and rainbow trout are often eager to bite and hard fighters on the end of the line.
Rainbow trout are first stocked in the Black Hills in September, as water temperatures are generally cooler, and stockings will then occur across central and eastern South Dakota through the month of October as temperatures allow. This ensures higher trout survival rates and provides a unique species that is more willing to bite throughout the colder months.
All rainbow trout stocked in South Dakota are produced in western South Dakota hatcheries, but GFP is currently working on a project at Blue Dog State Fish Hatchery in northeast South Dakota to further expand the capabilities of this hatchery. Located in Waubay, the improvements would include new technology including recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) that can produce fish both more quickly and more efficiently.
These improvements would also give Blue Dog State Fish Hatchery the ability to produce rainbow trout, which would be used for these fall stockings in eastern South Dakota. This would greatly improve efficiency and minimize cost with fish transportation, which would ultimately result in more fish being stocked more frequently.
Fundraising for this project is currently underway, and individuals wishing to learn more about the project or donate can do so on the GFP website.
Anglers looking to target these recently stocked rainbow trout can find fish in the fisheries listed below.
Pierre Area
- Capitol Lake
- Mikkelson Pond
- Milt Morris Farm Pond
Sioux Falls Area
- Covell Lake
- Family Park Pond
- Tea South Community Fishing Pond
Brookings Area
- Dakota Nature Park
Eastern South Dakota
- Wylie Park (Aberdeen)
- Madison Community Fishing Pond (Madison)
- Lake Ole (Harrisburg)
- Rollings GPA (Hudson)
- Worthing Community Fishing Pond (Worthing)
- Prior Lake Community Fishing Pond (Woodsocket)
Central South Dakota
- Dante Dam (Wagner)
- Little Moreau #2 (Timber Lake)
- Armour Kids Fishing Pond (Armour)
- Dakotah (Miller)
- Miller Fisheries Management Area (Mitchell)
Western South Dakota
- Coldbrook (Hot Springs)
- Cottonwood Springs (Hot Springs)
- Roubaix (Spearfish)
- Sheridan Lake (Rapid City)
Anglers are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity that presents itself in the colder weather months across the state!
