Belle Fourche Reservoir

Fishing, stocking, and current conditions

Stocked April to May in 2026, heaviest in May: yellow perch and gizzard shad, 5 plants in all. A 6,106-acre reservoir. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.

Butte County · South Dakota · see it on the national map

last stocked May 8 168 days ago

best window 9:58-11:58 pm solunar major today

Water right now 56.99 ft elevation USGS gauge 06435000 (BELLE FOURCHE RESERVOIR NEAR BELLE FOURCHE SD) · read 6:15 pm this evening

5 stockings 2026

8,200 fish reported

6,106 acres (NHD)

The year here

stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details

What swims here

Gizzard shad (forage) 3 stockings

Yellow perch 2 stockings

Stocking record 2026

Agency feed checked yesterday.

Date	Species	Size	Fish	Status
Apr 22	Yellow perch	adult	2,500	completed
Apr 23	Yellow perch	adult	5,000	completed
May 4	Gizzard shad (forage)	adult	185	completed
May 7	Gizzard shad (forage)	adult	215	completed
May 8	Gizzard shad (forage)	adult	300	completed

When to fish Belle Fourche Reservoir

	Major periods (~2 h)	Minor periods (~1 h)
Today	9:35-11:35 am and 9:58-11:58 pm	3:53-4:53 am and 4:04-5:04 pm
Tomorrow	10:21 am-12:21 pm and 10:45 pm-12:45 am	5:06-6:06 am and 4:25-5:25 pm

Moon: waxing gibbous, 93% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Mountain Time (MDT).

What the record actually says

Last stocked May 8

Computed this evening, Oct 23 · South Dakota fishing forecast

Gear for this water

It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.

For the panfish (yellow perch stocked 2 times here in 2026, stillwater)

Small tubes and grubs	1 to 2 inch plastics for crappie around brush
Long telescoping pole	reach the pockets without spooking the school
Ultralight rod and small jigs	1/32 to 1/64 oz jigs under a float; 2 to 4 lb line

Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.

Nearby stocked waters

The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.

Water	Distance	Most recent
Newell	17 mi	May 7
Cox	18 mi	Sep 22
Iron Creek Lake	28 mi	Sep 15
Reausaw	34 mi	Sep 21
Dalton	37 mi	Jul 10

Follow South Dakota stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule

Records from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (official page). Placement from USGS GNIS and the National Hydrography Dataset. Schedules change without notice. Seasons, limits, and licenses: South Dakota fishing regulations.