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Lake Information for Pactola Reservoir
Pactola Lake is the largest reservoir in the Black Hills of South Dakota. At the bottom of Pactola Lake is the submerged town of Pactola, an old mining camp and site of several military bivouacs during the original settlement of the Black Hills in the mid-1870s.
The lake is located on Rapid Creek in Pennington County, South Dakota. The lake provides the water supply for the Rapid City Metro Area. It is owned and operated by the U S Bureau of Reclamation, with the various recreational facilities operated by the US Forest Service, and is one of the recreational areas of Black Hills National Forest. Boating and fishing are very popular, with a walk-in fly-fishing area located on Rapid Creek below the dam.
Facilities include a marina, improved swimming beach, campgrounds and group campground on the South Shore, campgrounds and a handicapped fishing path on the North Shore, and various picnic and overlook areas. In the summer, the USFS operates a visitor center on the dam, immediately off US Highway 385.
Pactola Reservoir's main fish species are brown, lake, and rainbow trout. There are also some sunfish, rock bass, yellow perch, largemouth bass, black crappie, and northern pike.
Pactola Lake is accessible via US Highway 385 north from Hill City, South Dakota and Sheridan Lake Forks or south from Lead and Deadwood, or via the Rimrock Highway, SD Highway 44 from Rapid City, South Dakota.
Businesses Located Nearby
Boat Rental
- Pactola Pines Marina
- 23060 Custer Gulch Rd - Rapid City, SD
- (605) 343-4283
- Kno Place Upholstery
- 13069 Pine Cliff Cir - Rapid City, SD
- (605) 343-3377
- Sheridan Lake Marina
- 16451 Sheridan Lake Rd - Rapid City, SD
- (605) 574-2169
Vacation Rental
- The Big Horn Lodge Vacation Rental
- 12792 White Tail Rd - Custer, SD
- (605) 427-6102
- Black Hills Vacation Rental Cabins
- 21374 Big Sky Dr. - Lead, SD
- (507) 920-5952
- Double Diamond Ranch
- 23818 Highway 385 - Rapid City, SD
- (605) 574-4560
Bar and Restaurant
- Boston's Restaurant & Sports Bar
- 620 E Disk Dr - Rapid City, SD
- (605) 348-7200
- Minervas Restaurant & Bar
- 2111 N Lacrosse St - Rapid City, SD
- (605) 394-9505
- Murphy's Irish Pub & Eatery
- 510 9th St - Rapid City, SD
- (605) 348-7270