Byre Lake in Lyman County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lyman County, South Dakota, is where Byre Lake sits. This is mixed forest ground. At about 85 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 1.7 miles, small enough to learn in a day. The closest town, Fort Thompson, is 22 miles distant. For a city, Sioux Falls is 158 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Byre Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. County-wide records name bluegill, largemouth bass, rudd, northern pike and pallid sturgeon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Byre Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 75°F for July and 17°F for January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late March. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That shapes the year on Byre Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Somewhere to sit and eat is half a mile out. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Fate Dam, 8.5 miles away. Ask locally about Byre Lake if anything is unclear.