Cottonwood Springs

Fishing and stocking

Stocked March to October in 2026, heaviest in March: rainbow trout, 4 plants in all.

Fall River County · South Dakota · see it on the national map

last stocked Oct 8 15 days ago

best window 9:57-11:57 pm solunar major today

4 stockings 2026

1,500 fish reported

The year here

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

What swims here

Rainbow trout 4 stockings

Stocking record 2026

Agency feed checked yesterday.

Date	Species	Size	Fish	Status
Mar 23	Rainbow trout	adult	165	completed
Mar 23	Rainbow trout	adult	335	completed
Jun 26	Rainbow trout	adult	500	completed
Oct 8	Rainbow trout	adult	500	completed

When to fish Cottonwood Springs

	Major periods (~2 h)	Minor periods (~1 h)
Today	9:34-11:34 am and 9:57-11:57 pm	3:52-4:52 am and 4:04-5:04 pm
Tomorrow	10:21 am-12:21 pm and 10:45 pm-12:45 am	5:04-6:04 am and 4:26-5:26 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

Stocked 15 days ago (Oct 8)

Computed this evening, Oct 23 · South Dakota fishing forecast

Gear for this water

Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.

For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 4 times here in 2026, stillwater)

Ultralight spinning rod	6 to 7 ft ultralight, 4 lb line; long casts from the bank
Dough bait rigs	floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell
Casting spoons	1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth

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
Legion	23 mi	Sep 24
Stockade	23 mi	Sep 24
Bismark	24 mi	Sep 18
Center	26 mi	Sep 22
Sylvan	28 mi	Sep 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. Schedules change without notice. Seasons, limits, and licenses: South Dakota fishing regulations.