← South Dakota fishing maps

Best walleye lakes in South Dakota

81 South Dakota waters hold walleye, 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. Low-light predator with reflective eyes. Feeds on structure edges at dawn, dusk and night.

1. Belle Fourche Reservoir — 61 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Channel Catfish, Yellow Perch
2. Angostura Reservoir — 68 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
3. Waubay Lake — 31 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
4. Thompson Lake — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
5. Bitter Lake — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
6. Whitewood Lake — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
7. James River — 10 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
8. Poinsett Lake — 22 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
9. Missouri River (Gavins Point) — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
10. Red Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
11. Kampeska Lake — 16 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
12. Richmond Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
13. Pelican Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
14. Albert Lake — 13 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
15. Big Sioux River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
16. Roy Lake — 21 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
17. Long Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
18. Opitz Lake — 23 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
19. Goose Lake — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
20. Sinai Lake — 33 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
21. Mitchell Lake — 29 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
22. Swan Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
23. Dry Lake — 14 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
24. Henry Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
25. Enemy Swim Lake — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass

…plus 56 more South Dakota waters holding walleye.

When to fish walleye in South Dakota

• Spring 4–15 ft — Spawning runs to gravel shoals, rocky shorelines and inflows.
• Summer 15–35 ft — Deep humps and breaklines by day; edges and flats in low light.
• Fall 12–40 ft — Fish steep structure near deep basins; big fish move shallow at night.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Deep basin flats and humps; short dawn/dusk feeding windows.

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

Walleye elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · Montana · Wyoming · North Dakota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · New York · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Manitoba · Alberta · Georgia · Vermont · West Virginia · Pennsylvania