Lake Whitewood

Lake Whitewood is a lake in Kingsbury County, South Dakota with 4,465.3 acres, a recorded maximum depth of 6 feet and about 25,256.7 acre-feet of storage.

What Makes Lake Whitewood Different

Lake Whitewood is broad and extremely shallow, with a recorded maximum of six feet. Water level, winter conditions and summer heat can change the fishable water more than they do on a deep lake.

How to Fish Lake Whitewood

The useful clues on Lake Whitewood are weeds, windblown banks and clean holes in otherwise shallow water.

On the lake, keep lures shallow and follow clean water. Spinner rigs and shallow crankbaits cover walleye and pike water, while small jigs handle crappie and perch.

Fish and Baits at Lake Whitewood

Fish listed for the lake include Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Common Carp, Northern Pike, Walleye, White Bass, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch.

Crappie, Sunfish and Perch

For black crappie at Lake Whitewood, try a small jig or minnow beside brush, weed edges and drop-offs; for yellow perch at the lake, try a small jig, minnow or worm close to bottom near weeds or a drop.

Walleye and Open-Water Fish

For walleye at Lake Whitewood, 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 Lake Whitewood, try a spoon, spinnerbait or jerkbait beside weeds and shallow cover.

Catfish, Bullheads and Carp

For black bullhead at Lake Whitewood, try a worm, cut bait or prepared bait on a light bottom rig; for common carp at the lake, try corn, dough bait or a worm on a simple bottom rig. For bigmouth buffalo at the lake, try a worm, corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig.

Seasonal Fishing at Lake Whitewood

As Lake Whitewood warms in spring, check shallow cover and the first drop leading away from it. Summer fishing on Lake Whitewood is often best along healthy weeds, clean pockets and the windblown side before the water gets too dirty. In fall, follow cooling water and moving bait toward points, green weeds and wind-hit banks at Lake Whitewood.

A Practical Plan for Lake Whitewood

On the first pass at Lake Whitewood, 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 Lake Whitewood 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 Lake Whitewood: water color, wind direction, useful depth and the cover that produced. Those details from Lake Whitewood make the next trip easier to plan.

Tackle for Lake Whitewood

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

Lake Whitewood FAQs

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

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

What is a simple bait for walleye at Lake Whitewood?

A good first choice on the lake is a jig or crankbait; change its depth before replacing everything in the box.

Does the 6-foot maximum tell me where fish hold in Lake Whitewood?

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