Saint Francis Bay Fishing near Wagner, South Dakota

• Overview

  Saint Francis Bay sits within Charles Mix County in South Dakota. It stands 1,342 feet above sea level. Ground here is low by South Dakota standards. Wagner at 13 miles is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Platte at 26 miles and Tyndall at 35 miles. Close neighbours run: Lake Andes 7.4 miles, Red Lake 8.1 miles away, Blitzkie Reservoir 12 miles, Lake Geddes 12 miles away and Micanek Reservoir 15 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Saint Francis Bay

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Oyster and old piling give the only hard structure in sight. Flats either side fish on the drop as bait is pushed off them. Records held for Charles Mix County cover green sunfish, largemouth bass, common carp and bluegill. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Saint Francis Bay for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 76°F and January near 20°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. Ice clears near late March and comes back about early December in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Saint Francis Bay.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. A ramp is mapped within half a mile. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Lake Andes, 7.4 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Saint Francis Bay.