Pactola Reservoir
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Rainbow trout water, stocked 15 times in 2026, spread March to September, heaviest in September; 10,152 fish reported. A 841-acre reservoir, and the most-stocked water on the Pennington County record for 2026. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Pennington 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
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked yesterday.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 9 | Rainbow trout | adult | 1,026 | completed |
| Mar 9 | Rainbow trout | adult | 1,730 | completed |
| Apr 2 | Rainbow trout | adult | 496 | completed |
| Apr 7 | Rainbow trout | adult | 440 | completed |
| Apr 9 | Rainbow trout | adult | 500 | completed |
| Apr 14 | Rainbow trout | adult | 520 | completed |
| Apr 21 | Rainbow trout | adult | 440 | completed |
| Aug 31 | Rainbow trout | adult | 440 | completed |
| Sep 1 | Rainbow trout | adult | 880 | completed |
| Sep 2 | Rainbow trout | adult | 880 | completed |
| Sep 3 | Rainbow trout | adult | 440 | completed |
| Sep 3 | Rainbow trout | adult | 472 | completed |
| Sep 4 | Rainbow trout | adult | 944 | completed |
| Sep 8 | Rainbow trout | adult | 472 | completed |
| Sep 9 | Rainbow trout | adult | 472 | completed |
When to fish Pactola Reservoir
| 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 | 10:20 am-12:20 pm and 10:45 pm-12:45 am | 5:04-6:04 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 Sep 9
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · South Dakota fishing forecast
Gear for this water
The last plant has had time to disperse; work outward from the obvious spots.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 15 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Small crankbaits | trout-pattern cranks trolled or slow-retrieved off points |
| Slip bobber and jig | 1/32 oz marabou jig or waxworm suspended at cruising depth |
| Ultralight spinning rod | 6 to 7 ft ultralight, 4 lb line; long casts from the bank |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sheridan | 7.3 mi | Oct 15 |
| Mitchell | 9.5 mi | Sep 15 |
| Major | 10 mi | May 12 |
| Canyon | 11 mi | Jun 15 |
| Canyon Lake | 11 mi | Sep 28 |
Follow Pennington County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule