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Best brown bullhead lakes in South Dakota

45 South Dakota waters hold brown bullhead, 2 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. 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. Night-feeding catfish of weedy, mud-bottomed lakes — the classic after-dark shoreline bite across the east and Canada.

1. Big Stone Lake — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
2. Traverse — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
3. Waubay Lake — 31 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
4. Thompson Lake — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
5. Bitter Lake — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
6. Whitewood Lake — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. Poinsett Lake — 22 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
8. Red Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Kampeska Lake — 16 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Richmond Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
11. Albert Lake — 13 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
12. Roy Lake — 21 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Opitz Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
14. Mitchell Lake — 29 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
15. Swan Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
16. Dry Lake — 14 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
17. Pelican Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
18. Henry Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
19. Enemy Swim Lake — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
20. Grass Lake — 9 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
21. Pocasse Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
22. Byron Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
23. Campbell Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
24. Long Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. Cottonwood Lake — 9 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites

…plus 20 more South Dakota waters holding brown bullhead.

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When to fish brown bullhead in South Dakota

• Spring 2–8 ft — First warm rains pull bullheads into black-bottomed bays and creek mouths — the classic spring shore bite.
• Summer 3–12 ft — Day fish hold on deeper mud and weed edges; after dark they spread across the shallows to feed by smell.
• Fall 5–15 ft — Fish slide toward deeper soft bottoms as the shallows cool — the evening bite shortens with the days.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Bullheads pod up half-dormant in the deepest mud basins; a long soak with bait on bottom is the lone play.

Also in South Dakota: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes

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