Fishing at Iron Creek Lake, Lawrence County, South Dakota

• Overview

  You will find Iron Creek Lake in Lawrence County, South Dakota. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. Small at around 23 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Among the waters listed for Lawrence County, none is wider. Start from Spearfish, 10 miles down the road. Billings sits 241 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Iron Creek Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Fish documented in Lawrence County include brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, mountain sucker and longnose dace. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Fish Iron Creek Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 65°F, the coldest about 22°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Iron Creek Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. There is somewhere to leave the car, 160 yards off. There is a pier recorded roughly 100 yards away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Montana Lake, 13 miles out. Confirm before you fish Iron Creek Lake.