← South Dakota fishing maps

Best crappie lakes in South Dakota

79 South Dakota waters hold crappie, 1 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. Schooling panfish that suspends around timber, brush and creek channels.

1. Angostura Reservoir — 68 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
2. Waubay Lake — 31 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
3. Thompson Lake — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
4. Bitter Lake — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
5. Whitewood Lake — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
6. James River — 10 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
7. Poinsett Lake — 22 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
8. Red Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
9. Kampeska Lake — 16 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
10. Richmond Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
11. Pelican Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
12. Albert Lake — 13 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
13. Roy Lake — 21 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
14. Long Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
15. Opitz Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
16. Goose Lake — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
17. Sinai Lake — 33 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
18. Mitchell Lake — 29 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
19. Swan Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
20. Dry Lake — 14 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
21. Henry Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
22. Enemy Swim Lake — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
23. Grass Lake — 9 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
24. Pocasse Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
25. Byron Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie

…plus 54 more South Dakota waters holding crappie.

When to fish crappie in South Dakota

• Spring 2–8 ft — The famous spring bite: brush, timber and docks in protected shallow pockets.
• Summer 10–25 ft — Find suspended schools over channel-edge brush piles and deep timber.
• Fall 8–20 ft — Schools follow shad into creeks; fish channel bends with cover.
• Winter 15–35 ft — Tight schools in deep holes and channel bends; slow 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 bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best brown bullhead lakes

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