Henry Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (Bon Homme County, SD)

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Lake depth chart

Henry Lake, SD

Max 37 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the forage outlook

Seasonal forage outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 5 – Nov 15 · the Midwest edition — a ~10° drop off summer temps starts it mid-September and it builds as the water falls through the 60s; gizzard shad tolerate cold, so it outlasts the southern threadfin version

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Henry Lake

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Fishing Henry Lake: what the data says

104-acre lake near Bon Homme County. The lake tops out around 37 ft. The depth chart comes from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Traced from the shoreline, Henry Lake runs 108 acres with 4.2 miles of edge. The 2.9 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. 92% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.6 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Bon Homme County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Beaver Lake, 16 mi southeast of here.

Yellow Perch fishing at Henry Lake

Spring yellow perch on Henry Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	open water	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Crappie fishing at Henry Lake

Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	open water	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	open water	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Henry Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	open water	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	open water	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	open water	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Northern Pike fishing at Henry Lake

Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	open water	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	open water	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Walleye fishing at Henry Lake

Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 11 to 37.2 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.

Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	11 to 37.2 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	open water	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	11 to 37.2 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Notable structure

5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 37 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 37 ft
Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Henry PWA - Scotland — ramp (concrete plank - 3')

Access data: South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Henry Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for South Dakota waters are set by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks — and special regulations can apply to Henry Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official South Dakota fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Henry Lake?

Henry Lake is about 37.2 ft (11 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Henry Lake?

Anglers target yellow perch, crappie, bluegill, northern pike, walleye on Henry Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

When is the best time to fish Henry 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Henry Lake?

Fishing on Henry Lake is regulated by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Check the official South Dakota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Beaver Lake 16 mi · Lewis and Clark Lake 20 mi, SD/NE · Marindahl Lake 23 mi · Dimock Lake 25 mi · Chalkrock Lake 29 mi, NE · Swan Lake 31 mi · Missouri River (Gavins Point) 35 mi, SD/NE · Corsica Lake 35 mi · Missouri River 42 mi, NE · Mitchell Lake 45 mi · Wall Lake 46 mi · Buckskin Hills Lake 53 mi, NE

See how Henry Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in South Dakota · best northern pike lakes in South Dakota · best crappie lakes in South Dakota · best bluegill lakes in South Dakota

Browse all South Dakota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.