Fishing at Gerkin Lake, Faulk County, South Dakota

• Overview

  Gerkin Lake is set in Faulk County, South Dakota. Height above sea level is 1,411 feet. At about 63 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The closest town, Redfield, is 22 miles distant. It is 149 miles to Sioux Falls, the nearest city. Close by you also have: Lake Nora sits 7.6 miles out, Zell Lake about 8.4 miles, Lake Faulkton sits 12 miles out, Lake Cresbard about 12 miles and Cottonwood Lake sits 20 miles out. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Gerkin Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Reported across Faulk County: green sunfish, common carp and northern pike. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Gerkin Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 72°F for July and 12°F for January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Gerkin Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Lake Nora at 7.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Gerkin Lake before loading the car.