Fishing Report For Lake Francis Case, SD

By Rick Seaman

May 30, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Lake Francis Case Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
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Fishing License
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Fishing Report Lake Francis Case, SD

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Lake Francis Case, SD

Walleye

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Good To Excellent

Spring and Fall are the best season for catching walleye. Ice fishing was good this year, if you located them. As the ice started melting, anglers began finding walleye in the shallows, especially rocky areas where they spawn. After spawning in Spring, they move to flats, shoals and ledges off shore. Throughout Summer, early in the morning and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye, as they move shallow to feed. They primarily feed on gizzard shad, perch and other small fish, close to the bottom. Bright colored jigs, tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers are catchin them when they move off the bank into 10 to 15 feet of water. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits are working if they are up shallow. Blade baits, jigs, swimbaits, spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners are all working while trolling.

Smallmouth Bass

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

The water temperature is in the mid to high 50's, triggering the smallies to spawn. They are spawning in 5 to 15 feet of water, depending on wind protection in their spawning area. When they are shallow, mid-range crankbaits, jerkbaits, Ned rigs and tube baits are popular baits. Smallmouth fishing is often quite good on cold, windy, cloudy and rainy days. After the spawn, look for these smallmouth to get aggressive and feed heavily. Early and late in the day topwater can be effective throughout the warmer months. Local anglers are already catching some post-spawn fish in 10 to 20 feet of water nearby the spawning areas. Rocks and gravel are ideal areas to work for smallmouth.

White Bass

Uncle Buck's Panfish Creatures Curly Tail Minnow Rigged

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

White bass tend to start their spawn run once the water temperature gets into the mid 50's, so many of the white bass here have spawned and are returning to the main sections of the lake. This is now a prime time to fill the livewells with some fat white bass. Minnows, nightcrawlers, swimbaits, curly-tail jigs, underspins, small crankbaits, small jerkbaits, and most any lure that looks like baitfish are catching these schooling fish.

Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for smallmouth bass, channel catfish, white crappie, walleye, sauger, white bass and yellow perch at Lake Francis Case in South Dakota.

Lake Francis Case is a 100,000-acre lake, it is over 100 miles long, and has 540 miles of shoreline.This is a fantastic walleye fishery, as well as great fishing for smallmouth bass, white crappie, yellow perch, and sunfish. Bank fishing is available all around the lake.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Marinas

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Fishing License

Click here for a South Dakota Fishing License.

Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".