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Horse Thief Lake

Keystone, South Dakota — Pennington County.

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17Surface acres

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 124557103).

Nearest airports

The closest airport with scheduled passenger flights to Horse Thief Lake, plus larger airports within about 150 miles:

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Airports with scheduled airline service from OurAirports (large and medium airports); larger airports are FAA large, medium and small hubs by FAA CY2025 enplanements ("major airport" = FAA large hub). Distances are straight-line from the lake's center, not driving distance; road routes are longer.

Location & fast facts

Where Horse Thief Lake is in South Dakota

The red circle marks Horse Thief Lake.

Fast facts

About Horse Thief Lake

  • County: Pennington
  • Nearest city: Keystone (about 1.2 mi from the lake)
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 18 mi from Rapid City and 159 mi from Pierre, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (South Dakota: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).

Fishing in South Dakota

Official SD GFP pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Camping. 44 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

    Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

    Lake map

    Horse Thief Lake shoreline

    0.1 mileN

    No public access sites are listed for this water in the OpenStreetMap boat ramps (no statewide agency ramp layer used) data.

    Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 124557103), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: OpenStreetMap boat ramps (no statewide agency ramp layer used). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

    Campgrounds near Horse Thief Lake

    We found 44 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Horse Thief Lake, 6 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

    14 more within 15 miles

    All campgrounds & RV parks in South Dakota

    Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

    Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

    Conditions right now

    Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
    Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

    Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (43.8930, -103.4818). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Horse Thief Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

    Sun, moon & best fishing times

    Sun & moon at Horse Thief Lake

    Best fishing times

    Major periodMinor periodDaylight

      Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in MT (America/Denver), and accurate to within a few minutes.

      Contact & official info

      Questions about Horse Thief Lake

      How big is Horse Thief Lake?

      Horse Thief Lake covers about 17 acres in Keystone, South Dakota (Pennington County).

      Are there campgrounds near Horse Thief Lake?

      Yes. We list 44 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 6 of them within 5 miles.

      What towns are on Horse Thief Lake?

      Horse Thief Lake touches Keystone in Pennington County, South Dakota.

      Share a tip or fishing report

      Know Horse Thief Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

      Lakes & ponds nearby

      Straight-line distance between lake centers. All South Dakota lakes & ponds · All waters in Keystone