Cottonwood
Fishing and stocking
Black crappie water, stocked once in 2026; 374 fish reported. A 462-acre lake.
Sully County · South Dakota · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Black crappie
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked yesterday.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27 | Black crappie | adult | 374 | completed |
When to fish Cottonwood
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:19 am-12:19 pm and 10:42 pm-12:42 am | 4:37-5:37 am and 4:49-5:49 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:06 am-1:06 pm | 5:50-6:50 am and 5:09-6:09 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% 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 Central Time (CDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Mar 27
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 (black crappie stocked 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| Ultralight rod and small jigs | 1/32 to 1/64 oz jigs under a float; 2 to 4 lb line |
| Live bait | waxworms, crickets, and redworms out-fish everything for bluegill |
| Small tubes and grubs | 1 to 2 inch plastics for crappie around brush |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Woodruff | 24 mi | May 29 |
| Rezac | 27 mi | May 12 |
| Spring | 41 mi | May 27 |
| Jones | 54 mi | May 27 |
| Byre | 63 mi | Oct 8 |
Follow South Dakota stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule