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Fishing Summit Lake: what the data says
202-acre lake near Grant County. The lake tops out around 13 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Yellow Perch fishing at Summit Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Crappie fishing at Summit Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Summit Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 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. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Northern Pike fishing at Summit Lake
Spring northern pike on Summit Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 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. 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 | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Walleye fishing at Summit Lake
Spring walleye on Summit Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 13 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 13 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Summit Lake?
Summit Lake is about 13 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 Summit Lake?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Summit Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Summit 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 Summit 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
Blue Dog Lake · Enemy Swim Lake · Bitter Lake · Pickerel Lake · Farley Lake · Round Lake
See how Summit 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
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