Covells Lake Fishing near Sioux Falls, South Dakota

• Overview

  The Minnehaha County end of South Dakota holds Covells Lake. Height above sea level is 1,424 feet. About 11 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Minnehaha County are larger. Some 1.1 miles away sits Sioux Falls, the nearest settlement. Crooks is 8.3 miles and Tea 8.8 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Covells Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Minnehaha County: green sunfish, johnny darter, common carp, black crappie and white sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Covells Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 14°F in January and 74°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Covells Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. A parking area is marked roughly 80 yards out. A toilet block sits half a mile away. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Lake Alvin, 10 miles out. Rules at Covells Lake are worth checking on the day.