Lake Todd Fishing near Clark, South Dakota

• Overview

  Lake Todd is one of the Codington County listings for South Dakota. Land around it is mixed forest. At about 203 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 2.6 miles on foot. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Codington County. For a base, Clark sits 15 miles out. It is 112 miles to Sioux Falls, the nearest city. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lake Todd

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Codington County cover Iowa darter, green sunfish, white sucker, northern pike and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Lake Todd a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 10°F in January up to 71°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Lake Todd.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Carson Lake, 1 mile out. Check the current arrangement for Lake Todd.