Share your catch

Bitter Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The deep one of the Glacial Lakes: Waubay's risen sister, where drowned groves drop into 40 feet and the walleye run heavier than the neighbors'.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
81 / 82 F
Wind
ENE 9 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Bitter Lake sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings cloud cover, wind ENE around 9 mph, steady pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 82. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassGood

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieFair

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 90 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F
High / Low82 / 61 F
WindENE 9-11 mph
Pressure1010.2 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset06:55 / 20:01
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 82/61 F, wind 12 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Bitter Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Bitter Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Bitter Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 84 F, wind to 13 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

South Dakota requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

South Dakota license. Walleye 4/day: check GFP northeast-area rules and ramp status.

Access

GFP accesses off the section roads (level-dependent): Webster basecamp.

About this water

Deep glacial riser near Waubay, Day County, SD. The heavyweight sister of the wet-cycle lakes.

Fishing Bitter Lake: the full guide

The deeper sister

Bitter rose with the same 1990s wet cycle that built Waubay: but sank its basin deeper: 40-plus-foot holes among the drowned groves make it the Glacial Lakes' depth outlier and, in strong cycles, its heavyweight walleye water: the fish average chunkier where the forage base runs deep.

Working depth on the prairie

Summer stratification matters here like nowhere nearby: walleye slide to the 18-30-ft breaks off the flooded shelterbelts (jigging raps and harnesses at depth), while the neighbors' shallow bowls scatter. Fall turns the drowned grove edges back on: October's crankbait bite along the tree lines is the local prime.

White bass and the mixed bag

High-water connections seeded white bass: summer schools push bait mid-lake (watch the birds: prairie-style run-and-gun), and pike patrol every treeline. Perch cycle through the ice seasons: when Bitter's jumbos hit, the wheelhouses migrate over from Waubay within the week.

Glacial Lakes practicalities

Access runs off the section roads (GFP's northeast-area ramp notes track the levels), Webster serves as basecamp, and the refuge boundaries near the north end mark closed water: know the lines. Wind rules the open basin: the grove lees and depth transitions keep fishable water in most blows.

Common questions

How is Bitter Lake different from Waubay?

Depth: 40-foot holes versus shallow flats: summer walleye school deeper and average heavier here. Fish it as the chain's structure lake.

When should I fish Bitter Lake?

June-July on the deep breaks and October along the drowned groves: plus the perch-cycle winters. Watch GFP's netting reports: the Glacial Lakes tell you which sister is hot.

Is fishing good at Bitter Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Waubay Lake12 miBig Stone Lake36 miLake Thompson66 miSheyenne River99 miBig Sioux River108 miOtter Tail Lake114 mi
Share your catch