Old Stickney Lake near Mitchell: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Old Stickney Lake is set in Davison County, South Dakota. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. This is a pocket water of some 8 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Mitchell at 17 miles is the nearest place to stop. Further out sit Parkston (22 miles) and Platte (29 miles). The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Old Stickney Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Reported across Davison County: green sunfish, common carp, orangespotted sunfish and flathead catfish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Old Stickney Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 75°F and January near 17°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around late March in spring and again near early December in autumn. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Old Stickney Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Stickney Lake, 2.8 miles away. Where Old Stickney Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.