Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
183-acre lake near Turner County. The lake tops out around 6 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 186 acres wrapped in 3.6 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.9) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. The basin spans about 1 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. Turner County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Marindahl Lake, is 14 mi to the southwest.
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 6 ft, and they winter in 2 to 6 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 5 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. 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 | 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 | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 2 to 6 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 6 ft through summer, 2 to 6 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 3 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (3 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Main-lake point at roughly 6 ft.
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 Swan Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official South Dakota fishing regulations →
Swan Lake is about 6 ft (2 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 on Swan 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Swan 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.
Marindahl Lake 14 mi · Beaver Lake 22 mi · Wall Lake 23 mi · Alvin Lake 28 mi · Missouri River (Gavins Point) 30 mi, SD/NE · Henry Lake 31 mi · Chalkrock Lake 32 mi, NE · Missouri River 33 mi, NE · Lake Pahoja 34 mi, IA · Big Sioux River 37 mi · Lewis and Clark Lake 39 mi, SD/NE · Rock Valley Pit 40 mi, IA
See how Swan 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 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.