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Fishing Mitchell Lake: what the data says
690-acre lake near Mitchell. The lake tops out around 29 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 Mitchell Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 29 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 29 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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Crappie fishing at Mitchell Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 25 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Mitchell Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Northern Pike fishing at Mitchell Lake
Spring northern pike on Mitchell Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Walleye fishing at Mitchell Lake
Spring walleye on Mitchell Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 9 to 29 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. The spot to know is Firesteel Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 29 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 29 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Mitchell Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Mitchell Lake also holds brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Firesteel Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Firesteel Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mitchell Lake?
Mitchell Lake is about 29 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 Mitchell Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, brown bullhead on Mitchell Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Mitchell 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 Mitchell 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
James River · Dimock Lake · Corsica Lake · Wilmarth Lake · Cavour Lake · Henry Lake
See how Mitchell Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in South Dakota · best walleye lakes in South Dakota · best northern pike lakes in South Dakota · best crappie lakes in South Dakota
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