Fishing at Horseshoe Lake, Day County, South Dakota

• Overview

  Set in Day County, South Dakota, this is Horseshoe Lake. The bank is 1,755 feet above sea level. It measures some 600 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The nearest place of any size is Webster, 11 miles away. Fargo is the closest city, 122 miles away. Nearby, in order: Mud Lake after 2.5 miles, Long Lake 2.8 miles away, Swan Lake after 6.3 miles, Heggs Lake 8 miles away and Twin Sloughs after 10 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Horseshoe Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Day County, recorded fish include common carp, black bullhead, green sunfish, Iowa darter and bluegill. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work Horseshoe Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 71°F, with January the cold end at about 10°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about late November in an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Horseshoe Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Mud Lake, 2.5 miles away. Where Horseshoe Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.