Spring Creek runs through the middle of our campground on the edge of Hill City, and there are trout in it. Most of what guests land is rainbow or brown, with a brook trout showing up now and then. It is small water — you can step across it in places — so it fishes more like a mountain stream than a river. That means you can carry a rod down from your RV site or cabin, fish for an hour before dinner, and be back at the fire pit before dark. For anyone planning camping near Mount Rushmore with fishing on the list, having water on the property is a real convenience.
Do I need a license?
Yes, for adults. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks handles licensing, and nonresidents can buy annual or short-term licenses online before they arrive or at shops in the area. Rules for youth anglers, daily limits and any special regulations on a particular stretch of water change from time to time, so check the current fishing handbook on the GFP site rather than relying on what someone told you last summer. We do not sell licenses or tackle here, so pick both up before you settle in.
What gear works on Spring Creek?
Keep it light and keep it short. A 4 to 6 foot ultralight spinning rod or a short 3-weight fly rod is easier to work under the willows and cottonwoods than anything longer. Small spinners, tiny spoons and a handful of dry flies and beadhead nymphs cover most days. Polarized sunglasses matter more than most people expect — the creek is clear, and seeing the fish before they see you is half the job. Move slowly, stay low on the bank, and work the deeper pockets below riffles and the shaded cuts along the far bank. These are spooky fish in thin water.
Where should I go for bigger water?
Head north on Highway 385 and Sheridan Lake is about ten minutes out, with trout plus perch, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Keep going and you reach Pactola, the largest reservoir in the Hills, known for rainbows, browns and lake trout, with good bank access near the dam. Deerfield Lake sits west of town and is a no-wake lake, which makes it pleasant for canoes and small boats. Stockade Lake in Custer State Park is another option if you are already down that way, though you will need a park entrance license for the vehicle. A common pattern among guests: lake in the daytime, creek in the evening.
When is the fishing best?
Early summer, after runoff settles, and then again in September and October. Fall is our favorite stretch — cooler air, fewer people on the bank, brown trout getting aggressive, and shoulder-season rates at the campground. Midsummer afternoons can be slow on the creek when the sun is straight overhead and the water warms, so fish the first and last two hours of daylight. Afternoon thunderstorms build fast in July and August; get off exposed lake shorelines when you hear thunder.
Fishing with kids
Spring Creek is a good place to start a child, because they can see the water, wade a little, and nobody has to sit still in a boat. Bring a cheap push-button reel, a small net, and low expectations about how long it lasts. Twenty minutes of catching is worth more than two hours of casting practice.
If you are sorting out where to stay, we have full-hookup RV sites, tent sites, cabins and an eight-person suite, and the Mickelson Trail runs right past all of them. Ask at check-in and we will point you to the stretches of creek that have been producing.