Black Hills Fishing Report May 5th 2017

Rapid Creek above Pactola has dropped a bit in flow. Should see this stretch clear up and improve daily, especially with the warmer temps this weekend. Stick to streamers and bigger nymphs here- Kreelexes, Home Invaders, and Lil’ Kims will all move a few fish.

Below Pactola is fishing well, and hasn’t been particularly busy. Nymph fishing will tend to be the best all around tactic below the dam. Flows are medium for this time of year. Expect clear water and a need to use a larger nymph or scud to get a small dropper down to the fish. Most fish will choose the small dropper. We have been liking a boat anchor scud or tungsten baetis lead fly for the lead fly. For droppers try small midge larvae and tiny baetis nymphs. Should see a few baetis every day and maybe a bit of dry fly activity. Midges will probably provide the best chance for dry fly fishing.

Rapid Creek in town has been fantastic fishing. For the most part you can use a hippie stomper attractor dry with a dropper. Try smaller jig nymphs and tungsten zebra midges for droppers. Fish are in the shallow water as well as the deeper runs and pools. Don't overlook the shallow riffely water. Definitely a chance early and late for some dry fly activity. Baetis, midges, and maybe a few caddis starting to show up.

Spearfish Creek is fishing very well also- no big change from the last report. Both in town and in the canyon have been fishing great. It’s mostly a nymphing affair, with the same rigs as the last several months working well. I would use a larger jig for a lead fly, trailed by either a smaller jig in a 16-18 or a smaller midge. Jig Assassins, Skinny Jigs, Quill Jigs, and Soft Spots are all good bets for your first fly. Frenchies have been a fantastic dropper fly, as well as smaller jig flies and midges. Spearfish is a little on the low side, so there’s a lot of fish in the fast, shallow water. Don’t overlook stuff in the foot deep range! There’s a few BWO’s around as well, so I would have a couple CDC Thorax Duns or Smoke Jumpers if you’re headed that direction.

Castle Creek above Deerfield has come back into shape. Runoff has dropped significantly. There’s rainbows running out of the lake. Try nymphs like Tungsten Rainbow Czechs, Worms, and various jigs in the size 12-14 range will find plenty of fish. Below the lake is fishing fantastic as well, primarily with hopper-dropper type setups. Hippie Stompers trailed by a small jig or Tung Teaser will work well. There are some Little Black Stoneflies around as well, so I would have some Henryville Specials or F Flies as well. The brookies have a sweet spot for those miniature stones! Blue Winged olive hatches are likely most afternoons.

Spring Creek below Sheridan is too low to fish very well. Hope for some rain down there! The creek above the lake has a fair number of rainbows milling around, and is a good bet for folks that are new to fishing and what to get into some easier fish.

Same as last report- Crow Creek and Sand Creek are fishing well, and are pretty much the same story as they have been for the past several months. Scuds and worms trailed by a small midge or BWO pattern will work if the fish aren’t on the surface. If you see fish up on top, try a BWO or a Little Black Stonefly pattern. They’re typically not too selective, so long as you get it in front of them without spooking them! With the warm weather this weekend, you could start to see caddis and possibly some smaller stoneflies. Look for callibaetis mayflies on the slower stretches of Crow Creek.

Warmwater fishing is cranking up. Good bass fishing east of town on the prairie lakes. Pike fishing has been hot on the prairie as well. Should really start to see improvement on activity for pike on Sheridan and Pactola with a bump in water temps. White bass have started to show up in the shallow water around Pierre. Stay tuned for more reports.