← South Dakota fishing maps

Best bluegill lakes in South Dakota

77 South Dakota waters hold bluegill. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.

1. Waubay Lake — 31 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
2. Thompson Lake — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
3. Bitter Lake — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
4. Whitewood Lake — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
5. Poinsett Lake — 22 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
6. Red Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
7. Kampeska Lake — 16 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
8. Richmond Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
9. Pelican Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
10. Albert Lake — 13 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
11. Roy Lake — 21 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
12. Long Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
13. Opitz Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
14. Goose Lake — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
15. Sinai Lake — 33 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
16. Mitchell Lake — 29 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
17. Swan Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
18. Dry Lake — 14 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
19. Henry Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
20. Enemy Swim Lake — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
21. Grass Lake — 9 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
22. Pocasse Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
23. Byron Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
24. Campbell Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
25. Cottonwood Lake — 9 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie

…plus 52 more South Dakota waters holding bluegill.

When to fish bluegill in South Dakota

• Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
• Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
• Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.

Also in South Dakota: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best brown bullhead lakes

Bluegill elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · North Dakota · Iowa · Indiana · Connecticut · Nebraska · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · New York · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Mississippi · Texas · Florida · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Delaware · Alabama · Georgia · West Virginia · Rhode Island · New Jersey · California · Virginia · Hawaii · South Carolina