Cattail Lake near Britton: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Marshall County, South Dakota, this is Cattail Lake. The bank is 1,778 feet above sea level. About 1,485 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. You are looking at roughly 14 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. On our Marshall County list it sits near the top for size. Some 16 miles away sits Britton, the nearest settlement. For a city, Fargo is 91 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Cattail Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Marshall County include bluegill, common carp, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Cattail Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 71°F; by January the average is down near 9°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan any trip to Cattail Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Kettle Lake at 1.6 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Cattail Lake in what we hold.