Flat Lake, South Dakota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Marshall County entry here is Flat Lake, in South Dakota. It lies 1,864 feet above sea level. With some 200 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 2.2 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Britton sits 17 miles from the bank. Fargo is the closest city, 80 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Flat Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Marshall County cover bluegill, common carp and northern pike. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Flat Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 71°F and January near 9°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Flat Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, High Lake at 1.7 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Flat Lake in what we hold.