Fishing arrives at Lake Lorraine, starting with special group

You’ll now be able to go fishing at events on Lake Lorraine – although a group of elementary students beat you to it.

The kids from nearby Hayward Elementary got to try out ice fishing over the weekend, thanks to a new partnership between the Lake Lorraine developers and South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks.

The youth fishing event had a special meaning, too, as it was held in memory of avid outdoorsman Scott Gackle, who died in 2019.

Lake Lorraine is privately owned, and for safety reasons, no recreational activities like fishing and swimming are allowed on the water.

But the hope had always been to bring activities to the lake by working with others.

Last summer, the business Flow and Paddle brought stand-up paddleboarding to the lake.

And in late 2020, conversations began about fishing.

The weekend event is one of many the developers and the state hope to put together this year, they said. Fishing will be allowed only as part of organized events.

And yes, there are fish in the lake.

When property owner Warren Friessen was excavating the site for materials to be used by Friessen Construction, he envisioned having a lake where he could fish.

Once he dug out the space and the resulting lake filled with water from the Skunk Creek aquifer, Friessen stocked the lake. Known species in the water include northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, perch and bluegill.

On Feb. 21, 20 kids from Hayward got to try it out. For many, it was the first time they had been fishing. With equipment provided by The Outdoor Campus, they learned about the sport and safety, and then worked with volunteers to bait and get fishing.

Each child went home with a fishing pole and the hope they will try the sport again.

Gackle of Canton was an avid fisherman and hunter before he was killed in an ATV rollover. He especially loved to take his twin boys, Jasper and Griffin, now age 7, with him to explore the outdoors every chance he could. His daughter, Vada, now age 5, looked forward to any excursions planned, Gackle’s friend Dustin Taylor said.

Taylor was the one who wanted to honor this friend with a youth fishing day, adding Gackle was looking forward to purchasing an ice fishing shack so the whole family could fish together.

“Scotty never cared where he was or what he was doing, happily untangling his kids’ fishing lines all day, as long as he was with his family and friends,” Taylor said.

Registration for future fishing events will take place through GF&P. Follow Lake Lorraine and The Outdoor Campus social media pages for announcements about future events.