Fishing around Rapid? (Shhhhhhh our secret!) (Rapid City, Pierre: college, live, shop)

[JonManique]

Ok... not really asking (yet) for your fishing hotspots... just curious if there is good fishing anywhere near Rapid City? It looks like the lake near Belle Fourche is a good place for walleye even!! We dont have a boat... so maybe we'll try to learn to fly fish and hit some streams for trout or something.

So much to do..... so little time (and money)!

[rjl78]

There are several places that are good for fishing. Spring Creek below Sheridan Lake has some good fly fishing. Pactola is another good lake. Angastora (sp) has some good Walleye fishing.

Canyon lake and Rapid creek are also good for trout fishing.

[JonManique]

Originally Posted by rjl78

There are several places that are good for fishing. Spring Creek below Sheridan Lake has some good fly fishing. Pactola is another good lake. Angastora (sp) has some good Walleye fishing.

Canyon lake and Rapid creek are also good for trout fishing.

Now I just need to learn to fly fish!! I think regular rod and reels don't work so good in these streams!? Hmmmmm another new hobby? Oh no!!!

[DannyBanany]

You'll catch some nice trout anywhere on the Rapid Creek. I recommend fishing upstream in Johnson Siding. I don't really like fish from Rapid Creek in the city because the water's so dirty. Canyon Lake stays well stocked too because the fish hatchery is upstream about 1/2 mile.

[rjl78]

Originally Posted by JonManique

Now I just need to learn to fly fish!! I think regular rod and reels don't work so good in these streams!? Hmmmmm another new hobby? Oh no!!!

There are plenty of places where one can fish with a regular rod and reel. If you want a new hobby we got you covered too

[JonManique]

Originally Posted by rjl78

There are plenty of places where one can fish with a regular rod and reel. If you want a new hobby we got you covered too

Perfect! Thanks guys and gals!

[BlackHillsGuy]

Originally Posted by rjl78

There are several places that are good for fishing. Spring Creek below Sheridan Lake has some good fly fishing. Pactola is another good lake. Angastora (sp) has some good Walleye fishing.

Canyon lake and Rapid creek are also good for trout fishing.

My experience last summer tells me otherwise on Spring Creek. I did catch a TON of little 3-inch something there though that were a nuisance after the first two or so.

From what I've been told, the only two streams that have a self-sustaining trout population are Rapid Creek and Spearfish Creek. The rest are stocked on a regular basis though.

If you like catch-and-release I highly recommend going below the Pactola dam. There is a catch-and-release only stretch of the creek that does not allow live bait. It is teaming with good-sized fish (over 15 inch rainbows) that you will easily be able to spot if you walk along the bank. The fish can be very finicky because they've seen everything, but with enough work you should be able to get them to bite.

If you want to fly fish I recommend going to the little fly shop in downtown Rapid and asking about current fishing patterns. They were helpful when I was there last summer. They may also have a Black Hills fishing guide you could pick up for free.

What do people know about bass fishing in the area? I managed to catch some small stuff at Sheridan last summer, and never got the chance to try Angostura or the Belle Fourche Reservoir.

[andyroo]

last summer I actually caught quite a few small mouths at Pactola. I would go back near jenny gulch area along the banks and into all the weeds. One thing the drought provided was amazing fish habitat, and since the water level has gone up the overgrown weeds are now under water. It was pretty surprising, I didn't know they had any bass. However, I was on a boat so I don't know how accessible these spots would be on foot. I'm looking forward to trying out these spots again around the middle of May when I get back from college for the summer. I'll keep you updated!

[theflyingitalian]

I hope there is enough fishing there, I have to move to Elsworth in jan. Moving from alaska leaves me with pretty high expectations.

[rjl78]

Originally Posted by theflyingitalian

I hope there is enough fishing there, I have to move to Elsworth in jan. Moving from alaska leaves me with pretty high expectations.

There is always the three hour drive to the Missouri River (Pierre) that has some excellent fishing, Walleye, Bass, Cat, Freshwater Salmon on Lake Oahe.