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Posts: 312
| Hey Folks -
Most of the lakes I tend to fish here in South Dakota are so low that I cannot launch my boat, unfortunately. So I am making a trip to Minnesota much earlier than I usually do.
Looking for help/general thoughts. Going to fish Alexandria area mid June for about 4 days of fishing. Gonna be focusing on Lobster and Oscar, but also gonna make the drive to fish Alexander for a day.
Anyone have any experience on these lakes this time of year? I know I am dealing with relatively clear water (Alexander might be the clearest lake ive ever fished). Time of year, traditionally, I am assuming I am going to be working shallow weeds.
Another other helpful information, via PM or otherwise, you guys have, I would appreciate! |
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Posts: 145
| No advice to give, but question: do you know what happened on 81 Ponds this year? Last I knew, the state of South Dakota gained the public access through an easement with the land owner. Something happened that caused the land owner to not only end the agreement, but he also ended up filling in portions of the access itself. The GF&P has been very tight lipped about what is going on. |
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Posts: 312
| I have not heard a word about that. As far as I know - nothing has changed. I just tried putting in there this last weekend without success due to water levels.
Everything seemed the same to me as it has been the last few years. Still have the parking area just to the East. Dock was not put in yet - that was the only difference that I noticed.
Where did you hear that? |
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Posts: 145
| A GF&P guy, but apparently the funny business occurred in the off season and the guy didnt actually fill anything in. I guess they worled out the issue early this year. Island is in decent shape, but it is still Island. Sinai should be decent yet, right? |
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Posts: 312
| Sinai ramp is fine. Thats where I went when I couldn't get my boat into 81. Island and 81 seem to be out of the rotation for me unless we get some rain.
I did have a pretty decent fish swing and miss at the boat at Sinai. |
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Posts: 145
| jvlast15 - 4/30/2025 7:22 AM
Sinai ramp is fine. Thats where I went when I couldn't get my boat into 81. Island and 81 seem to be out of the rotation for me unless we get some rain.
I did have a pretty decent fish swing and miss at the boat at Sinai.
I had one I lost on the 8 at island, but it was a dink. Marked one big girl, but couldn't move her at all. |
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Posts: 312
| Havent been able to fish Island in the last two years due to water levels. Even the two years before that it seemed like the fish just disappeared. I think I went a full year without even seeing a fish.
There was about a 3 year period on that lake where I dont think I fished it without catching something over 40 inches. Really felt like I had that lake dialed....and then all of the sudden the fish were just gone, ha. Never had a lake confuse me more. |
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Posts: 145
| I spent a year fishing it right when I picked up musky fishing. It almost broke me. I didnt see a fish. They stocked a ton of juveniles last year, but that lake is getting dangerously shallow. Max depth is maybe 13 feet. It was 16 feet three years ago. |
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Posts: 8
| bloatlord - 4/29/2025 1:39 PM
A GF&P guy, but apparently the funny business occurred in the off season and the guy didnt actually fill anything in. I guess they worled out the issue early this year. Island is in decent shape, but it is still Island. Sinai should be decent yet, right?
Is this hearsay about the ramp location on 452nd ave on the west portion of 81ponds?
Just curious, because On SD's Arcgis boat access ramp map, they are showing the entire east side of 81 ponds as closed, but the ramp there is much more primitive |
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Posts: 145
| Flatlite - 5/2/2025 1:43 PM
bloatlord - 4/29/2025 1:39 PM
A GF&P guy, but apparently the funny business occurred in the off season and the guy didnt actually fill anything in. I guess they worled out the issue early this year. Island is in decent shape, but it is still Island. Sinai should be decent yet, right?
Is this hearsay about the ramp location on 452nd ave on the west portion of 81ponds?
Just curious, because On SD's Arcgis boat access ramp map, they are showing the entire east side of 81 ponds as closed, but the ramp there is much more primitive
It was hearsay. West 81's ramp is still there, but it is nightmare fuel to get any boat of decent size in it. East 81 has always been primitive and I've seen little other than john boats and kayaks put in there. |
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Posts: 312
| When I tried to put my Ranger 690 in 81 the other weekend, I had both* truck tires in the water, standing on the front of my trailer trying to leg press my boat off the trailer - with no luck budging it. I am afraid that without a 5-6 inch rain, that lake is nothing but shore fishing unless you have a bass boat or <17 foot boat this year.
Edited by jvlast15 5/5/2025 8:54 AM
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Posts: 389
| I've never been there, but did notice in the SD reg PDF it says that the 81 lakes are scheduled to be dredged this summer. Just curious if that will help the situation in your opinion? I did a little digging into that body of water after reading an online article about a study the SD DNR did. Seems like an interesting body of water for sure. |
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Posts: 145
| FlyPiker - 5/5/2025 7:39 PM
I've never been there, but did notice in the SD reg PDF it says that the 81 lakes are scheduled to be dredged this summer. Just curious if that will help the situation in your opinion? I did a little digging into that body of water after reading an online article about a study the SD DNR did. Seems like an interesting body of water for sure.
It has a bit of everything, as it's essentially a flooded series of sloughs. Extremely shallow and weed choked between basins with a bit of everything: dead timber, gravel, sand, muck, rip rap, you name it. But yeah, if dredging doesnt happen, john boats and kayaks will be it. |
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