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Pactola Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Black Hills’ deep lake: Pactola holds trout and lake trout in the clearest water in South Dakota.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
46 cfs
Air / High
89 / 90 F
Wind
SSE 13 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06411500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Pactola Reservoir feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 46 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 13 mph, rising pressure near 1005 hPa and a high of 90. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 91 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06411500.

42607746 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp89 F
High / Low90 / 59 F
WindSSE 13-20 mph
Pressure1004.8 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 14%
Sunrise / Sunset06:21 / 19:24
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 90/59 F, wind 14 mph, rain 14%

Fair or better. A 14 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Pactola Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Pactola Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Pactola Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 88 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 90 F, wind to 15 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

South Dakota requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

South Dakota license. Trout and lake trout limits per current Game, Fish and Parks regulations.

Access

Forest Service ramps, campgrounds and day-use areas off Highway 385; Rapid Creek tailwater below the dam.

About this water

An 800-acre reservoir on Rapid Creek in the Black Hills, Pennington County, South Dakota: the deepest in the hills.

Fishing Pactola Reservoir: the full guide

A mountain reservoir

Pactola Reservoir covers about 800 acres on Rapid Creek in the Black Hills west of Rapid City, the largest and deepest reservoir in the hills at over 150 feet. The water runs cold and remarkably clear, supporting rainbow and brown trout, lake trout, and a small population of splake, in a setting of ponderosa pine and granite.

Trout by depth

Rainbow and brown trout cruise the shorelines and drop-offs in the cooler months, taking spinners, bait and flies from shore and boat. Lake trout hold deep and take trolled spoons and jigged tubes at 60-120 feet through summer, moving shallower after ice-out and in fall. The clarity makes low-light periods disproportionately productive.

Ice and the seasons

Ice fishing is popular when the reservoir freezes, targeting trout and lake trout through the hard water. Spring after ice-out and fall are the strongest open-water windows. Below the dam, Rapid Creek runs as a cold tailwater holding wild brown trout, a genuinely good stream fishery worth combining with a day on the lake.

Pennington County logistics

Forest Service ramps, campgrounds and a visitor center serve the reservoir off Highway 385, with Rapid City about 15 miles east. The Black Hills setting draws heavy summer tourism, though the fishing pressure stays modest. Elevation and clarity mean cold water year-round: dress accordingly even in summer.

Common questions

Are there lake trout?

Yes: they hold the deep water and are taken by trolling and jigging, unusual for South Dakota.

Is the water clear?

Remarkably: the clearest large water in the state, which makes low-light fishing considerably more productive.

What about Rapid Creek below?

A cold tailwater holding wild brown trout: a genuinely good stream fishery to pair with the lake.

Is fishing good at Pactola Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Belle Fourche Reservoir47 miAngostura Reservoir50 miGlendo Reservoir134 miLake Oahe155 miMerritt Reservoir165 miNorth Platte River (Grey Reef)177 mi
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