Fly Fishing in the Black Hills

Most Black Hills trout streams support healthy brown trout populations. Brown trout are the most common species in Black Hills streams, but you don't have to look far to find rainbow and brook trout as well.

The Black Hills offer some of the best small stream fly fishing in the country. The unique geology of the hills, combined with striking scenery and plentiful trout streams, creates the perfect atmosphere for the fly fisher. Black Hills trout water ranges from tailwaters, freestones, spring creeks, and meandering mountain streams, and includes numerous small reservoirs. Regardless of preference, there are fishing opportunities for everyone.

Fishing is solid from mid-March to mid-November, with winter options in December, January, and February. Unique weather patterns routinely deliver warm days through the winter, and some of the best fishing of the year happens on a warm winter day — midge hatches offer great dry fly fishing in January and February.

Black Hills Trout Streams

Black Hills streams and lakes are home to rainbow, brown, and brook trout, with tiger trout introduced to a couple of area lakes. Streams here are managed for naturally reproducing populations. Three sections are designated catch-and-release — the stretch of Rapid Creek below Pactola Reservoir offers some of the finest fishing in the area.

The most consistent stream fisheries in the Black Hills are:

• Rapid Creek: One of the premier streams in the hills. It originates west of Rapid City and flows east, eventually through the city itself. Upper stretches offer good brook trout fishing; below Pactola Reservoir, a catch-and-release section holds some of the Black Hills' largest browns and rainbows, and the fishery runs right through town. Great fishing year-round.
• Spearfish Creek: In Spearfish Canyon, the most scenic fishery in the Black Hills, and home to one of the few self-sustaining rainbow trout fisheries in the region.
• Castle Creek: Flows into and out of Deerfield Reservoir. Both stretches fish well for brook trout, and the water above the lake supports a healthy, naturally reproducing rainbow population.
• Spring Creek: Flows into and out of Sheridan Lake. The 2000–2007 drought hit it hard, but the fishery below Sheridan is fishing well again. When healthy, it supports an amazing population of aquatic invertebrates — tons of trout food — and some of the best hatches on any Black Hills stream.
• Box Elder Creek: Originates upstream of Nemo. A fantastic brook trout stream at its headwaters; lower down it holds browns and a few rainbows. Steamboat Rock Picnic Ground is a great access point.
• French Creek: Flows through Custer State Park in the southern Hills. The drought took its toll, but it's recovering. Best around the Horse Camp and down in "The Narrows" — some of the most scenic water in the southern Hills, though the hike in is strenuous.
• Other Waters: Many more spots worth sampling: Grace Coolidge, Whitewood, Crow, Sand, Little Spearfish, Hanna, Elk, Little Elk, Beaver, and Slate Creeks.

Black Hills Lakes

Our lakes are also great places to chase big trout. Three larger lakes — Pactola Reservoir, Sheridan Lake, and Deerfield Lake — plus many smaller ones all hold good trout populations. The lakes in Custer State Park fish well too: Sylvan, Center, Legion, Bismarck, and Stockade.

You can fish from shore, but the best way to fish the lakes is from a float tube or pontoon boat. Damsel and dragonfly imitations and streamers are a good bet. See you in the Hills!

Black Hills Hatches

We have great hatches from April through September. Reliable hatches of Baetis (Blue-Winged Olives), Caddis, Pale Morning Duns, Tricos, and Little Yellow Stoneflies occur during the season. Terrestrial fishing can be fantastic starting in mid-summer with beetle and ant imitations, and hopper fishing in late summer is always something to look forward to. Midges hatch year-round, with some of the best action on warm winter days. For more detail, browse our Black Hills Hatch Chart.

South Dakota Trout Fishing

Trout are restricted to the cold-water streams and lakes of the Black Hills in western South Dakota, with a couple of exceptions along the Missouri River. Black Hills trout streams are the premier habitat for South Dakota trout — in the tailwaters, spring creeks, and freestones of the Hills you'll find rainbow, brown, brook, and tiger trout. Lake trout and splake have been introduced to some reservoirs. East of the Hills, trout fishing is limited to put-and-take rainbow fisheries, except the spring rainbow run below Oahe Dam.

Trout Fishing in the Black Hills (Book)

If you haven't seen Steve Kinsella's Trout Fishing in the Black Hills, you'll be pleasantly surprised — it offers amazing insight into just how much water there is to fish here, and even longtime locals will find new opportunities. One note: it was written in the 1990s at the tail end of an unusually wet cycle, so double-check water levels before planning a trip to the smaller streams it describes. The directions and advice are sound, but current conditions may differ. The book is out of print but can be found used — check eBay, AbeBooks, and ThriftBooks.

Stop by the shop for the latest Black Hills fishing report, the hottest flies, a map, and directions to the best fishing the Hills have to offer.

Dakota Angler & Outfitter · 1010 Jackson Blvd, Rapid City, SD 57702 · 605-341-2450