Fishing at Carlson Lake, Union County, South Dakota

• Overview

  Union County, South Dakota, is where Carlson Lake sits. It sits at 1,375 feet above sea level. Small at around 8 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Nearest place of any size is Beresford, 2.7 miles away. The big place round here is Sioux Falls, 30 miles distant. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Carlson Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Records held for Union County cover channel catfish, common carp, white sucker and johnny darter. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Carlson Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 73°F in July and bottoms out near 15°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late March. On average, late March opens the water and early December closes it again. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Carlson Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Swan Lake, 17 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Carlson Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.