Opal
Fishing and stocking
Yellow perch water, stocked once in 2026; 700 fish reported. A 30-acre reservoir.
Meade 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
Yellow perch
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked yesterday.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22 | Yellow perch | adult | 700 | completed |
When to fish Opal
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:30-11:30 am and 9:52-11:52 pm | 3:47-4:47 am and 3:59-4:59 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:16 am-12:16 pm and 10:40 pm-12:40 am | 5:00-6:00 am and 4:19-5:19 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 Apr 22
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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Newell | 48 mi | May 7 |
| Shadehill Reservoir | 57 mi | May 14 |
| Belle Fourche Reservoir | 64 mi | May 8 |
| Dalton | 70 mi | Jul 10 |
| Canyon | 73 mi | Jun 15 |
Follow South Dakota stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule