White Lake Hunting Lodge LLC

01/11/2026

Now booking 2026 hunts:

Hunt 1: Arrive 10/16, Hunt 10/17-20, Depart 10/21

Hunt 2: Arrive 10/21, Hunt 10/22-25, Depart 10/26

Hunt 3: Arrive 10/26, Hunt 10/27-30, Depart 10/31

Hunt 4: Arrive 10/31, Hunt 11/1-4, Depart 11/5

Hunt 5: Arrive 11/5, Hunt 11/6-9, Depart 11/10

Hunt 6: Arrive 11/10, Hunt 11/11-14, Depart 11/15

Hunt 7: Arrive 11/15, Hunt 11/16-19, depart 11/20

*Dates after are all customized (please inquire!)

11/11/2024

Another fun hunt!

11/05/2024

10/23/2024

Another fun opening weekend… hope to see you all again soon!

09/30/2024

Harvest 2024 is underway and the food plots have started to get opened up!

05/08/2024

Meet the staff!

Wyatt has been with WLHL from the very beginning. We appreciate his willingness to always lend a hand where needed. Its staff like Wyatt that are responsible for making the day to day operations smooth. Anyone who has hunted with Wyatt knows he brings a fun, outgoing perspective to the hunt… in fact, he may get more excited than a dog on opening day! Thanks for all you do Wyatt!

“I started working for WLHL as a very young kid when EF Watson started the operation in 1996. I transitioned onto the 2nd owner cleaning birds and maintenance of the property. Currently, I now guide and occasionally help clean birds. I love to hunt and fish on my spare time. My wife Kara, sons Ashton and Oakley, call White Lake, SD home. We have 3 labs and look forward to seeing everyone in the fall!”

03/19/2024

Meet the staff!

Dennis has been coming to White Lake for MANY years. We are so thankful he travels from East Tennessee to be with us each fall. He is always willing to lend a helping hand, fix what needs fixing, help with any request, and grills a mean steak! Rather he likes it or not, I always steal him to drive my bus and help guide my group. He is a jack of all trades and we are very lucky he is part of our team!

“The reason I loved coming to SouthDakota (WLHL) is not just for the hunting, but because of the friendships I have made over the years and meeting all the different people who come to hunt at the lodge. It is so much fun watching and guiding someone to kill their first pheasant. Kaci and family have done a lot since taking over the lodge and have the GREATEST kids! They have the best cook that you can imagine, we just love seeing Nancy every year. While home in East Tennessee, I hunt and fish a little, raise a few head of cattle, & since retirement, I am able to spend more time in SD pheasant hunting!”

03/11/2024

Meet the staff!

Cory Gillen owns and operates the lodge with his wife Kaci. He is responsible for so much of the behind the scenes work— from planting and maintaining the food plots, opening fields up and harvesting crops, providing cover crops for nesting, fixing and building around the lodges, and so much more. He often misses the hunts because he does have a day job, but he is always around later in the day to make sure all the clients needs are met, glasses are full, Nancy’s cooking is up to par, and the poker table doesn’t have any empty seat. Cory looks forward to the returning clients each fall and the new stories they have to share. He is a vital part of the operation and gaurentees the day to day runs smoothly.

“As an owner, Cory appreciates the opportunities to spend time in the field with the hunters. He is often unnoticed doing the behind the scenes work of the operation, but guiding clients gives him the opportunity to experience the smiles of success. He is very thankful to the relationships he has been able to build with the clients over the years and looks forwards to new hunting stories to share every fall.”

03/06/2024

Meet the staff!

Ron Smith from East Tennessee has been coming to White Lake for MANY years! He is an essential part of our operation by driving the busses, keeping everything stocked, fixing all the things around the lodges, and most importantly, frying the best eggs to order every morning! Thanks for being a part of our team Ron!

“I started coming to South Dakota in 1990 south of White Lake before the lodge moved to the current location in 1996. I enjoy playing golf, fishing, some deer hunting, and being a part time farmer. Out of all the different types of hunting, pheasant hunting is what I enjoy the most. Each year is a new challenge age and I really enjoy meeting all the people from different walks of life.”