Lake Henry, South Dakota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lake Henry falls in Kingsbury County, part of South Dakota. The ground around here is pine and birch. Surface area runs to roughly 3.6 sq miles, so plan for one area rather than the whole. At about 7.3 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. De Smet lies 5.2 miles from the water. After that come Volga at 28 miles and Madison at 29 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Henry

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Kingsbury County names common carp, northern pike, black bullhead, largemouth bass and white bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Lake Henry before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 72°F, with January the cold end at about 13°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Lake Henry that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Lake Henry Boat Ramp is the mapped launch, some 0.9 miles from here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Lake Thompson is 4.3 miles off. Treat access at Lake Henry as something to verify.