Fishing Minnewasta Lake in Day County, South Dakota

• Overview

  Minnewasta Lake is a Day County water, in South Dakota. This is mixed forest ground. At some 610 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Some 8.4 miles away sits Webster, the nearest settlement. Fargo is the closest city, 106 miles away. Near neighbours: 1.1 miles away is Dahling Slough, 2.4 miles out stands Waubay Lake, 2.7 miles away is Rush Lake, 4.3 miles out stands Blue Dog Lake and 5.3 miles away is Campbell Slough. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Minnewasta Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Day County list common carp, black bullhead, green sunfish, Iowa darter and bluegill. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Minnewasta Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 10°F in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Minnewasta Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Dahling Slough sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Minnewasta Lake.