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3,229-acre lake near Marshall County. The lake tops out around 18 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Kettle Lake's chart carries 9.8 miles of bank — one island included. With a shoreline index of 2.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 93% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 1.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.1 mi at the beam. The water lies in Marshall County. For a second option, Roy Lake lies 4 mi northeast.
Spring yellow perch on Kettle Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 18 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 15 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (8 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 18 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 5 to 18 ft game here, winter a 5 to 18 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 8 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Kettle Lake also holds brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (5 to 18 ft in summer), white bass (5 to 18 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Kettle Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 15 ft down.
Access data: South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Kettle Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official South Dakota fishing regulations →
Kettle Lake is about 18 ft (5 m) deep 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.
Anglers target yellow perch, crappie, bluegill, northern pike, walleye, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, smallmouth bass, white bass on Kettle 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.
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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Kettle 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.
Roy Lake 4 mi · Opitz Lake 5 mi · Clear Lake 8 mi · Nine Mile Lake 8 mi · Lake Isabella 8 mi · Nutleg East 8 mi · Red Iron South Lake 9 mi · White Lake 14 mi · Pickerel Lake 16 mi · Lynn Lake 16 mi · Waubay Lake 18 mi · Enemy Swim Lake 19 mi
See how Kettle Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in South Dakota · best smallmouth bass lakes in South Dakota · best walleye lakes in South Dakota · best white bass lakes in South Dakota
More water nearby: Marshall County fishing maps (7 charts). Browse all South Dakota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.