Sylvan
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout water; 8 stockings on the 2026 record, spread April to September, heaviest in April. A 18-acre reservoir, and one of 8 stocked waters on the Custer County record.
Custer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1 | Rainbow trout | adult | 1,200 | completed |
| Apr 7 | Rainbow trout | adult | 113 | completed |
| Apr 7 | Rainbow trout | adult | 543 | completed |
| Apr 8 | Rainbow trout | adult | 544 | completed |
| May 21 | Rainbow trout | adult | 1,200 | completed |
| Jun 15 | Rainbow trout | adult | 1,200 | completed |
| Sep 9 | Rainbow trout | adult | 1,600 | completed |
| Sep 10 | Rainbow trout | adult | 800 | completed |
When to fish Sylvan
| 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 4:25-5:25 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 10
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 8 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| 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 |
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bismark | 5.4 mi | Sep 18 |
| Stockade | 5.9 mi | Sep 24 |
| Major | 6.2 mi | May 12 |
| Mitchell | 6.5 mi | Sep 15 |
| Legion | 7.8 mi | Sep 24 |
Follow Custer County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule