Fishing at Lake Kampeska, Codington County, South Dakota

• Overview

  Lake Kampeska is listed under Codington County, South Dakota. Elevation runs to 1,706 feet. Surface area runs to some 7.9 sq miles, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The shoreline runs about 14 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Of the waters listed here in Codington County, this is the largest. Nearest place of any size is Watertown, 4.8 miles away. Sioux Falls sits 99 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lake Kampeska

  Our records give 16 ft, so you have a figure to work from. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Codington County records list Iowa darter, green sunfish, white sucker and northern pike among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. On Lake Kampeska that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 72°F and January near 11°F on the long-run figures. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Lake Kampeska rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  This sits on public land, so access is generally straightforward. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Pelican Lake, 4.4 miles out. Check the position on Lake Kampeska before loading the car.