Hamill Dam Reservoir in Tripp County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Tripp County, Hamill Dam Reservoir is a South Dakota water. The ground round it is lake country bush. With some 34 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The nearest town is Winner, 18 miles away. Chamberlain is 23 miles and Gregory 28 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Hamill Dam Reservoir

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Records held for Tripp County cover Iowa darter, green sunfish and largemouth bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Hamill Dam Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 75°F and January about 19°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late March. Open water usually runs from late March until about early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That shapes the year on Hamill Dam Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Beaulieu Lake, 21 miles out. Treat Hamill Dam Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.