Murray Lake in Lawrence County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Murray Lake falls in Lawrence County, part of South Dakota. It sits at 3,422 feet above sea level. It is high ground by South Dakota standards. The nearest town is North Spearfish, 7.3 miles away. The big place round here is Billings, 234 miles distant. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Murray Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Public occurrence data for Lawrence County names brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and mountain sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Murray Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 24°F in January to roughly 72°F in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Winter locks it down, and late March brings it back. Open water usually runs from late March until about early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Murray Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The nearest car park is 50 yards from the water. A pier 90 yards from here gives a platform over deeper water. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Mud Lake is 1.1 miles distant. What applies at Murray Lake may have changed since it was mapped.