Lake Francis Case Depth Map & Fishing Spots (SD)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Francis Case, SD

Max 140 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch 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

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageMar 15 – May 31 · in ~5 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Lake Francis Case

Recent public catches load as you reach this section.

Fishing Lake Francis Case: what the data says

102,000-acre reservoir near Chamberlain. The 100-mile Fort Randall reach of the Missouri. A walleye factory with canyon-edge smallmouth and deep winter holes. The lake tops out around 140 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

On the chart, Lake Francis Case draws 83,203 acres inside 346.2 miles of shoreline — 3 islands included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 8.6) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 58% of this chart, as modeled. Figure 82.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 21.5 mi at the beam. The water lies in Brule County. For a second option, Red Lake lies 12 mi north.

Walleye fishing at Lake Francis Case

When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Platte Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Platte Creek inflow (8 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Offshore hump (23 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Deep break (41 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Offshore hump (23 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Sauger fishing at Lake Francis Case

Early season sauger use the shallows, holding in 4 to 18 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Platte Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 8 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 18 ft	dawn & dusk	Platte Creek inflow (8 ft)	3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (23 ft)	Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait
Fall	12 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Offshore hump (23 ft)	Jig + big minnow, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 45 ft	dusk	Deep break (41 ft)	Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Francis Case

The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Rock reef, a rock pile in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (6 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (23 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline point (15 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Deep break (41 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Crappie fishing at Lake Francis Case

The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (23 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Feeding flat (14 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Offshore hump (23 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Northern Pike fishing at Lake Francis Case

The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Feeding flat (14 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Lake Francis Case

Early season white bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Platte Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 8 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Platte Creek inflow (8 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (23 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (15 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 40 ft	midday	Offshore hump (23 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Lake Francis Case also holds channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

The chart marks 33 structure features on Lake Francis Case; the deepest is Deep basin at about 119 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 119 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 113 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 78 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 62 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 41 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 35 ft
Secondary point: point, around 35 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 33 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 32 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 32 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 32 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 32 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 31 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 31 ft

Lake Francis Case 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 Lake Francis Case specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official South Dakota fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Francis Case?

Lake Francis Case is about 140 ft (43 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.

What fish are in Lake Francis Case?

Anglers target walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass, crappie, northern pike, white bass, channel catfish on Lake Francis Case.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Francis Case?

Platte Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Francis Case?

For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and 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 Lake Francis Case?

Fishing on Lake Francis Case 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

Red Lake 12 mi · Platte Lake 24 mi · Roosevelt Lake 29 mi · Byre Lake 37 mi · Wilmarth Lake 42 mi · Corsica Lake 52 mi · Lake Sharpe 56 mi · Chapelle Lake 60 mi · Mitchell Lake 64 mi · Jones Lake 66 mi · Niobrara River 68 mi, NE · Dimock Lake 70 mi

See how Lake Francis Case stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in South Dakota · best walleye lakes in South Dakota · best white bass lakes in South Dakota · best sauger lakes in South Dakota

Browse all South Dakota fishing maps. 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.