Punished Woman Lake

Punished Woman Lake
Punished Woman Lake
LocationCodington County, South Dakota
Coordinates45°06′40.2″N 96°56′14.2″W / 45.111167°N 96.937278°W / 45.111167; -96.937278
Typeglacial lake
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area477 acres (193 ha)
Average depth12 ft (3.7 m)
Shore length14.5 mi (7.2 km)
Surface elevation1,841 ft (561 m)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Punished Woman Lake is a natural glacial lake in northeastern South Dakota. It is located in Codington County, and borders the town of South Shore. The lake's surface area is 477 acres (193 ha), with approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of shoreline. The average water depth is around 12 feet (3.7 m).

Punished Woman Lake is managed by the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks (SDGFP) agency as a fishery for northern pike and yellow perch. The lake is also inhabited by black bullhead, common carp, golden shiner, walleye, and white suckerfish. Due to the lake's shallow waters, fish kills during extreme summer or winter temperatures are not unusual, and the SDGFP re-stocks the lake's primary species as needed.