Bitter Lake

Bitter Lake is a lake in Day County, South Dakota with 17,194 acres, a recorded maximum depth of 32 feet and about 33,814.8 acre-feet of storage.

What Makes Bitter Lake Different

Bitter Lake is a closed-basin glacial lake that grew far beyond its old size during wet years. Flooded roads, former fields and other drowned ground created miles of new edges for walleye, pike and perch.

How to Fish Bitter Lake

With only 32 feet at its deepest recorded spot, the lake often rewards careful work along weeds, flats and minor drops.

On the lake, treat old roadbeds and flooded high spots like long underwater points. Use a jig or crankbait to find walleye, then slow down where perch or pike hold near weeds.

Fish and Baits at Bitter Lake

Fish listed for the lake include Common Carp, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Walleye, White Bass, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch.

Bass

For rock bass at Bitter Lake, try a small jig, tube or worm around rock and wood.

Crappie, Sunfish and Perch

For yellow perch at Bitter Lake, try a small jig, minnow or worm close to bottom near weeds or a drop.

Walleye and Open-Water Fish

For walleye at Bitter Lake, try a jig and minnow, crawler rig or crankbait on points, flats and channel edges; for white bass at the lake, try a small spoon, jig or shad-colored crankbait where baitfish bunch up.

Pike and Muskie

For northern pike at Bitter Lake, try a spoon, spinnerbait or jerkbait beside weeds and shallow cover.

Catfish, Bullheads and Carp

For common carp at Bitter Lake, try corn, dough bait or a worm on a simple bottom rig.

Seasonal Fishing at Bitter Lake

As Bitter Lake warms in spring, check shallow cover and the first drop leading away from it. By summer, use shade, wind and baitfish to choose a depth on Bitter Lake; the deepest hole is not an automatic answer. In fall, follow cooling water and moving bait toward points, green weeds and wind-hit banks at Bitter Lake.

A Practical Plan for Bitter Lake

On the first pass at Bitter Lake, use one moving bait to find active fish and one slower bait to work the best-looking cover, changing depth before replacing everything in the box.

Wind can help on Bitter Lake by pushing food toward a bank or point, but hard wind can muddy shallow water; compare the windy side with one protected area before settling in.

Keep a short note after fishing Bitter Lake: water color, wind direction, useful depth and the cover that produced. Those details from Bitter Lake make the next trip easier to plan.

Tackle for Bitter Lake

A medium spinning rod with 8- to 12-pound line covers jigs, small crankbaits and many bait rigs on Bitter Lake; add a heavier outfit only when the listed fish or thick cover calls for it.

Bitter Lake FAQs

What should I check first after the wind changes on Bitter Lake?

Compare the windy weed edge with a protected bank on Bitter Lake, then stay with the side that has cleaner water and signs of bait.

What is a simple bait for yellow perch at Bitter Lake?

A good first choice on Bitter Lake is a small jig or minnow; change its depth before replacing everything in the box.

Does the 32-foot maximum tell me where fish hold in Bitter Lake?

No. The number for Bitter Lake only marks its deepest recorded spot; fish may be much shallower near food, cover or comfortable water.