Pactola Lake Water Level
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · South Dakota
Latest reading Oct 26, 1:00 PM · elevation
Pactola Lake is 21.1 ft below full pool today (4,559.05 ft vs 4,580.20 ft), 10.9 ft lower than a year ago. It is 71% full. It has risen 0.05 ft since yesterday and is up 0.33 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelFull pool (4,580.2 ft) is 21.1 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Full pool (4,580.2 ft) is 21.1 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Full pool (4,580.2 ft) is 21.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Pactola Lake fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETLake 21.1 ft below full pool and steady, calm wind — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:40 AM–8:40 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 39°F / low 33°FPatchy Fog
- WindCalm0–4 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 17
- Level21.1 ft below full poolLevel steady (+0.05 ft in 24 h)
Official South Dakota fishing info: South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks — Fishery survey reports
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
6/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:23 AM · Sunset 5:51 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:04 PM–2:04 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:40 AM–8:40 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:19 PM–6:19 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 12:04 PM–2:04 PM Minor 7:40 AM–8:40 AM · 5:19 PM–6:19 PM Calm wind 0–4 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:33 AM–2:33 AM · 1:03 PM–3:03 PM Minor 9:01 AM–10:01 AM · 5:57 PM–6:57 PM Light wind 1–14 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 1:34 AM–3:34 AM · 2:05 PM–4:05 PM Minor 10:20 AM–11:20 AM · 6:47 PM–7:47 PM Calm wind 0–4 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 2:38 AM–4:38 AM · 3:10 PM–5:10 PM Minor 11:31 AM–12:31 PM · 7:50 PM–8:50 PM Calm wind 0–4 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 3:42 AM–5:42 AM · 4:14 PM–6:14 PM Minor 12:29 PM–1:29 PM · 9:03 PM–10:03 PM Calm wind 0–6 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:44 AM–6:44 AM · 5:14 PM–7:14 PM Minor 1:13 PM–2:13 PM · 10:22 PM–11:22 PM Calm wind 1–4 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:42 AM–6:42 AM · 5:09 PM–7:09 PM Minor 12:47 PM–1:47 PM · 10:40 PM–11:40 PM Calm wind 1–6 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 6, rounded | 6/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 44.07, -103.49 (moon times from astronomical equations, Pactola Lake local time).
Weather & wind at Pactola Lake
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon39° / 33°Patchy FogWind SE 3 mphRain 10%
- Tuesday60° / 36°Mostly SunnyWind SW 3 to 14 mphRain 10%
- Wednesday59° / 33°Mostly SunnyWind NW 3 mphRain 5%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 44.075, -103.489 (grid UNR), issued Oct 26, 1:56 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Past 12 months
daily readings from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers- Today4,559.05 ft
- Same date last year4,569.98 ft−10.9 ft change
- 12-month high4,570.18 ftMay 10, 2026
- 12-month low4,557.92 ftOct 2, 2026
- Full pool4,580.20 ftUSACE
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 4,559.03 | +0.04 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 4,558.99 | +0.04 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 4,558.95 | +0.04 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 4,558.91 | +0.05 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 4,558.86 | +0.05 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 4,558.81 | +0.06 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 4,558.75 | +0.03 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 4,558.72 | +0.04 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 4,558.68 | +0.05 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 4,558.63 | +0.05 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Source
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Pactola Dam & Reservoir
- Location
- 44.0747, -103.4889 · South Dakota
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation, feet above sea level
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 1:00 PM local time
- History
- 400 days on file since 2025-09-22
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Full pool
- 4,580.20 ft — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Top of Conservation)
- Storage
- 39,898 of 55,975 acre-ft (Top of Conservation)
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.