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Fishing Farley Lake: what the data says
77-acre lake near Milbank. The lake tops out around 7 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Yellow Perch fishing at Farley Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 2 to 7 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Crappie fishing at Farley Lake
Spring crappie on Farley Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Farley Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 2 to 7 ft, and by winter most fish are in 2 to 7 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Northern Pike fishing at Farley Lake
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 7 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 7 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 6 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Farley Lake?
Farley Lake is about 7 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Farley Lake?
Anglers target northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Farley Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Farley Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Farley Lake?
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Round Lake · Bullhead Lake · Summit Lake · Clear Lake · Cochrane Lake · Kampeska Lake
See how Farley Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in South Dakota · best crappie lakes in South Dakota · best bluegill lakes in South Dakota · best yellow perch lakes in South Dakota
Browse all South Dakota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.