Black Hills Fishing Guides

If trout fishing is your passion, then the Black Hills of South Dakota is the designation for you. In South Dakota, the fishing season is year round so your favorite sport can be enjoyed spring, summer, fall, and winter. All types of weather are good for trout fishing. Even snowy, rainy or overcast days are great days to go trout fishing!

The small alpine lakes and pristine mountain streams which are located in the Black Hills National Park and in Custer State Park are teaming with trout. There is also the opportunity to catch bass, crappie or northern pike. Most of the lakes are stocked with rainbow trout and the streams contain populations of wild brown trout and brook trout.

Some of the larger lakes in the area are Deerfield Lake, Pactola Reservoir, and Sheridan Lake. In addition to those three, Canyon Lake, Horsethief Lake, Legion Lake, Center Lake, Roubaix Lake, and Bismarck Lake offer excellent fishing opportunities. Many streams are also available for your fishing pleasure. These include Spring Creek, Grace Coolidge Creek, and Spearfish Creek. Of the various streams in the area, Rapid and Spring Creeks, which are both close to Rapid City (the largest city in the Black Hills), are frequented the most because they have large populations of trout, easy access, and due to the 50-and 60-degree F. temperatures in December and January, offer fishing year-round. Canyon Lake is also located directly in Rapid City and it and the Rapid Creek that flows from it, have a good population of brown trout.

Fishing licenses can be purchased at sporting goods stores, outfitters, local hardware stores, country general stores and county courthouses, or at any office of the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department. Depending on your need and potential length of stay in the area, you can purchase a license for just one day, for three days, or for an entire year.

Although the statewide limit for trout is five, in the Black Hills area only one trout of 14 inches or longer may be kept as part of the daily limit. This specification is applicable to all streams and lakes in the Black Hills area. There are special areas which are catch and release only. Prior to starting out on your fishing expedition, it is best to check the rules and regulations for the specific area in which you wish to fish.