Anything = Deadwood

[Dakotapup]

Is there anything near Deadwood?  I will be there at the end of Dec, beginning of Jan at the Barefoot Lodge.  Would like to know if i would be able to fish..

[waterbeater]

I really had great luck at Deefield this summer. My Father-in-law limited every trip up there this summer (4 times). Trout limit but not the perch limit. I think he'd usually only catch 4 or 5 perch a day, but he was trolling and not targeting them. Pactola is usually always good ice fishing. Roubaix is probably the closest that I can think of. It was good open water fishing a few years ago for trout but haven't been there in a while. Good luck and repost on how you do.

[Sandbilly]

Waterbeater, how are your stockdams holding during this drought?

We've lost about half of the sandhill lakes around here over the last 6 years. Been hard on the pocketbook also as we've had to cut cow # in half plus didn't have the feed to hold on to all the yearlings this year, so now they're in a feedlot eating corn that the price is going up on.

Is Belle Fourche Res fishable during ice season?

[Kodiakman]

Pactola and Sheidan Lake are both about 20 minutes or so south of Deadwood on 385.  Both have Trout.  Pactola has some healthy gills, some perch as well as lake trout.  Sheridan lake has a good perch and crappie fishing, northerns and a few bass as well.  A friend and I limit on trout during soft water season at Pactola every time we've gone up there.  We hammered the gills in Bear Gulch (Pactola) this past spring also.

[waterbeater]

Waterbeater, how are your stockdams holding during this drought?

We've lost about half of the sandhill lakes around here over the last 6 years. Been hard on the pocketbook also as we've had to cut cow # in half plus didn't have the feed to hold on to all the yearlings this year, so now they're in a feedlot eating corn that the price is going up on.

Is Belle Fourche Res fishable during ice season?

Sounds like we're in the same boat billy. I think 6 years of drought would be enough but I guess no one knows when it will end. All of my dugouts have been dry for a couple years so I'm relying on pipeline for water for livestock. I've still got 3 stock dams with springs that are keeping the fish alive. But who knows when the springs will give in. I've got my replacement heifers in the feedlot also. Kind of sad when someone else has to feed your cattle isn't it. Maybe next year will be a good one. Hang in there.

[Sandbilly]

Keep the big perch pics coming.

[nodakbassmaster]

Usually Belle Fourche Res is fish able, but I don't know if there's any water left in it to freeze.. last I heard about a month or 2 ago it was at 6%....

[Kodiakman]

According to the Borough of Reclamation's numbers, looks like Belle Fourche Res./Orman Dam is up to 26% and has risen about 2 feet in the last month.

[Traxion]

The lake is in better shape than this time last year.  Good inflows early this fall.  Fishing was good this spring, but tailed off later in the year.  The slot will make many people frustrated, there are a ton of fish in the 15-18" range right now.  Few overs as usual.  I love it, fishing is good and quality is getting better and better.  We'll see how the ice season goes, hopefully we can have a good year with safe ice.