Lake Hendricks fishing: Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass

Target species: Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Bullhead, White Sucker, White Bass
Boat: 2 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Hendricks Lake (E) Public Water Access Site, 2 lanes.

The lake

Lake Hendricks covers 1,538 acres in South Dakota, across Brookings County. It is a lake: the deepest point measured is at least 8 feet (2.4 m). Our records hold 14 species for this water. 43% of the water lies in Minnesota.

7 target fish, led by Northern Pike

  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
  • Bigmouth Buffalo — Feeding water: 70–80°F.
  • Black Bullhead — Feeding water: 70–80°F.
  • White Sucker — Feeding water: 50–70°F.
  • White Bass — Feeding water: 65–75°F.

Also recorded here: Black Crappie, White Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Green Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, Common Carp.

Aerial view of Hendricks, Minnesota, on Lake Hendricks 2023-06-11.jpg
Schwerdf · CC BY 4.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 8 ft (2.4 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. We hold 42 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–1 ft: 7.7% of the water
  • 1–2 ft: 5.4% of the water
  • 2–3 ft: 5.1% of the water
  • 3–4 ft: 5.2% of the water
  • 4–5 ft: 6% of the water
  • 5–6 ft: 7.6% of the water
  • 6–7 ft: 12.6% of the water
  • 7–8 ft: 50.4% of the water

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 72°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.6. These readings span 2018–2025.

2 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 2 trailer ramps.

  • Hendricks Lake (E) Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms.
  • Hendricks Lake (S) Public Water Access Site — 1 lane. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 2 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

What is hard here

Only 2 public ramps are on file, so the launch decides where you fish.

Where this data comes from

  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: reported depths: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.