The fishing in northeast South Dakota is special, and anglers across the region are familiar with the excellent walleye and perch fishing that can be found on fisheries like Bitter Lake, Waubay Lake, and even Dry Lake #2 and Indian Springs. While these fisheries all can produce excellent fishing, there are far more options in the Glacial Lakes Region of South Dakota that can produce a variety of bites as well!
There is no shortage of water, and good fisheries, in the northeast corner of South Dakota and this means that many spectacular bites can fly under the radar. I’ve enjoyed the fishing in the Webster area fishing Bitter, Waubay, and even less known waterbodies like Opitz and Antelope, but I did not realize the excellent fisheries that sit just a bit further north.
That is until I headed up to Roy Lake State Park, for a quick mid-September overnight trip. After spending the morning on Lake Poinsett near Brookings, I ventured north to explore Roy Lake for the very first time. I had never even been this far north in the state, and when I arrived at Roy Lake State Park I was thoroughly impressed by the layout the park had to offer.
While the park itself provides camping, lake access, swimming, playgrounds, and other day use areas the lodging facilities the park has to offer are top notch. The park has modernized cabins, that have been completely redone and sit right next to both the water and a quiet boat ramp. Just across a small parking lot, the hotel-style suites provide all the comforts of home as well. The suites were large, well-kept, and featured a kitchen, living room, large bedroom, and bathroom.
After unpacking, I got the boat ready to roll for an evening of fishing. I visited with the park manager, who pointed me in the direction of a couple good areas to try. I started by fishing a mid-lake hump, which tops out at about 6 feet with weed growth and is surrounded by a 17 foot basin style area. I pulled in, and set the boat in about 9-10 feet of water and started jigging. After landing a bluegill, I set the hook on a gorgeous 18 inch smallmouth bass. I hadn’t been fishing but three minutes and already had a master angler quality smallie!
I continued jigging the hump for a little bit, and caught a few more bluegill and continued to mark them on the Lowrance in great numbers. I decided to check another stretch and see if I could find some walleyes, and check back on the hump as the sun went down.
I started trolling a long shoreline area, that featured contour breaklines, submerged weed stalks, and was adjacent to the main basin area. After setting my lines in about 12-13 feet of water, I was instantly rewarded with a 20 inch walleye. After my first two spots, I had a master angler smallmouth and an “over” walleye!
I continued to troll this area, and the multispecies action really began to pick up! I cranked up some slab crappies, mid-size northern pike, and even caught an 8 ½ inch bluegill on a crankbait as well! The quality of the crappie was extremely impressive, with several fish coming in 12-13 inches and in great shape overall.
As the full moon rose, I wanted to see if I could catch a really big walleye and felt that trolling the area around the main lake hump was going to be the best bet. I was able to catch one small walleye, but that was all I was able to muster.
After my evening scout mission, Allie and Chris arrived in the morning to jump in the boat with me and see what we could do! As the sun rose, I started by trolling the same weed flat I had fished the evening before and just like 12 hours before, the first two fish was a quality walleye and slab crappie that bit simultaneously! We continued to troll this area, and put together a handful of walleye, slab crappie, northern pike, and another bluegill on the crankbait as well!
As the sun rose, and the wind started to pick up, we wanted to see what sort of bluegill fishing the hump could produce. To say the fishing was spectacular would be an understatement! Between the three of us, we caught probably 50-60 bluegill, a smallmouth bass, and a handful of northern pike as well. The bluegill were spectacular quality, with many between 7-9 inches.
Fishing was extremely simple, Allie and Chris were doing best with a 1/16 oz jig and plastic, while I was working a slightly heavier ⅛ oz jig and nightcrawler. The benefit of the plastics was that after a missed bite, they were able to keep fishing and overall fish more efficiently and put more fish in the boat throughout the morning!
The wind continued to pick up, and after thoroughly tiring ourselves our catching bluegill we headed in to take on last check of the cabins and suites at Roy Lake State Park. The layout truly sets up for the perfect fishing trip destination, whether that’s with family or friends. The boat ramp is in great shape, cabins and suites are well-kept, in great condition, and extremely comfortable. The ability to have your lodging, ramp, and parking in one area makes it even easier to come in for a bite to eat, quick nap, or other family activities!
When I thought of northeast South Dakota, I often first thought of the walleye and perch fishing of Bitter or Waubay. After my trip to Roy Lake, I realized just how mistaken I was! There are so many amazing fisheries in this area, and the top-notch facility at Roy Lake State Park makes this a must-visit destination for any angler!
