Here, in the Dakotas, we pride ourselves of the ample opportunities to share with visitors and locals alike with being outdoors. With 155k of acres of public grasslands available for hunting and beautiful lakes, rivers and streams to fish, we consider ourselves an outdoorsman’s dream vacation spot.
Be sure to use these hashtags, when posting photos on your social media page:
#huntlemmon
#fishshadehill
#SDINTHEFIELD
Pheasant Hunting
Pheasants Forever Website Stated:
“Lemmon- Within visual distance of North Dakota on the north side of County Road 19, this city is a staging area to one of the most unique upland bird hunting adventures to be had in South Dakota. Offering a unique mix of pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge, there is plenty of room to roam on 155,000 acres of the Grand River National Grasslands.”
Blog Post’s About Lemmon Pheasant hunting
YouTube Channel of The Flush-Visiting Lemmon, South Dakota for epic Episode of Pheasant Hunting!
““In South Dakota, you can just feel the west as you approach then cross the Missouri. My kids cut their teeth on “West River” whitetails, and it is hard to beat the hunting and bucks here. Access can be challenging, but bowhunting is often the angle you need. That said, there is another option in South Dakota: The Black Hills. With 4 million acres of public land and a rebounding western whitetail population, you can hunt to your heart’s content. Truly big bucks are rare but nice ones are relatively abundant.””
“About 10 miles south of Lemmon lies a large reservoir that is popular for walleye fishing and camping in the summer, but which also has about 5,000 acres of public hunting land.
Shadehill Reservoir is owned by the Bureau of Reclamation and managed by GFP. Conservation officer Keith Muschler said during years when the area gets a good amount of moisture, Shadehill is as good a pheasant hunting spot as any a hunter would find on the eastern side of the state.
"Up here, it's the mixture of grassland and crop ground, and pheasants need a little bit of both," he said. "Around Shadehill we manage for wildlife so there are a lot of areas that aren't grazed, which is good for the pheasants."
There are a lot of different access points, some of which require permission from private property owners before entering, but a few of the easier ways to get into the reservoir are by way of White Butte Road, which is on the west side and runs north-south, and although it never touches the reservoir, it has many access points off of dirt roads.
The other main road is Summerville Road which is off of Highway 73. Muschler said that road will get someone close to the public hunting lands.”
Sited; https://rapidcityjournal.com/outdoors/west-river-holds-its-own-when-it-comes-to-pheasant-hunting/article_af2df72e-e441-5d07-b380-7cfee91c5c33.html
More Locations for Fishing Options:
Allen Robinson Dam 4 miles
Dog Tooth Creek 12.4 miles
Duck Creek Dam 12.7 miles
East Thunder Hawk Creek 12.3 miles
Flat Creek Lake 11.2 miles
Meyers Lake Dam 4.1 miles
North Lemmon Lake 4.9 miles
Organge Dam 5.5 miles
Plum Creek 8.1 miles
Reidy Dam 8.5 miles
Robert Kressly Dam 7.2 miles
Township Lake 5.4 miles
W D Crockett Dam 7.7 miles
White Butte Reservoir 9.3 miles
““Without a doubt, this reservoir is a multi-species fishery. Along with the popular walleye, Shadehill also contains pike, crappie, white bass, perch, smallmouth bass and channel catfish — all of which seem to hang out in the same locations as walleye. Be prepared to go through a lot of fish and catch a lot of species until you pinpoint the nicer walleyes.””
Contact information
Grand River Ranger District
(Grand River National Grassland & Cedar River National Grassland)
1005 5th Ave W.
Lemmon, SD 57638
SD Dept of Game, Fish and Parks
19150 Summerville Road
Shadehill, SD 57638
Email: Shadehill@state.sd.us
Accommodating Hunting Services
grand river lodge
The Grand Lodge is a great opportunity for those looking for a full on Guided hunt, place to stay and accommodations; If you find yourself wanting to stay in town, and travel to the ranch, the also offers day hunts as well. Check our their website, email or give them a call!
Meadow Creek Pheasant Camp
Shadehill Recreation Area and campgrounds
Dakota Lodge, in Lemmon:
Hodgson Hunting House
The Hodgson Hunter House has three bedrooms with one queen, four fulls and a twin sized beds which sleeps 11. It’s 1 1/2 baths, fully furnished, pet friendly with dog kennel, two car garage, washer and dryer, and dish network.
To make reservations
