Sylvan Lake fishing

Sylvan Lake fishing is stocked with Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout, Smallmouth Bass, and Cutthroat Trout on a reservoir. Also recorded: Golden Shiner and Fathead Minnow. It is stocked about 7.9 times a year since 2012, most often in May and June. Species guides list dawn and dusk as the active times.

Sylvan Lake
Photo: Jennifer L. Sovanski, cropped and color-corrected by Daniel Case, CC BY 2.0
Last stocked
September 10, 2026
· Rainbow Trout
Plants on record
119
Since 2012
Species stocked
4 (+2 also recorded)
Average size
12.8 in
Surface acres
19
Elevation
6,145 ft

Fish at Sylvan Lake

4 stocked · 2 confirmed present

Rainbow Trout Stocked · 114 plants · last September 10, 2026 Best: dawn, dusk

Last stocked September 10, 2026 · avg 12.8 in · 114 plants

Best: dawn, dusk

Rainbow Trout species guide
Smallmouth Bass Stocked · 2 plants · last May 31, 2024 Best: dawn, dusk

Last stocked May 31, 2024 · 2 plants

Best: dawn, dusk

Smallmouth Bass species guide
Tiger Trout Stocked · 2 plants · last October 4, 2023 Best: dawn, dusk

Last stocked October 4, 2023 · avg 12.8 in · 2 plants

Best: dawn, dusk

Tiger Trout species guide

How Sylvan Lake is stocked

Source: South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP).

No plants recorded in 2020.

Fish stocked in 2012

8,455

Fish stocked in 2013

9,445

Fish stocked in 2014

9,445

Fish stocked in 2015

9,343

Fish stocked in 2016

9,395

Fish stocked in 2017

9,320

Fish stocked in 2018

7,681

Fish stocked in 2019

12,134

Fish stocked in 2021

9,200

Fish stocked in 2022

11,203

Fish stocked in 2023

10,508

Fish stocked in 2024

10,140

Fish stocked in 2025

7,400

Fish stocked in 2026

7,200

Stocking history

Source: South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP).
Date Species Quantity Avg. length Source
September 10, 2026Rainbow Trout80015.2 inreport
September 9, 2026Rainbow Trout1,60015.2 inreport
June 15, 2026Rainbow Trout1,20014 inreport
May 21, 2026Rainbow Trout1,20013 inreport
April 8, 2026Rainbow Trout54412.2 inreport
April 7, 2026Rainbow Trout54312.2 inreport
April 7, 2026Rainbow Trout11317 inreport
April 1, 2026Rainbow Trout1,20012.6 inreport
September 4, 2025Rainbow Trout1,40012.8 inreport
September 3, 2025Rainbow Trout1,00015.2 inreport
June 16, 2025Rainbow Trout58514 inreport
June 16, 2025Rainbow Trout61514.5 inreport
May 27, 2025Rainbow Trout1,20013 inreport
May 6, 2025Rainbow Trout20015.5 inreport
April 23, 2025Rainbow Trout1,20014 inreport
April 14, 2025Rainbow Trout1,20013 inreport
October 9, 2024Cutthroat Trout2,413–report
October 9, 2024Rainbow Trout53614 inreport
October 2, 2024Rainbow Trout28915.2 inreport
October 2, 2024Rainbow Trout77514 inreport
August 23, 2024Rainbow Trout27315.2 inreport
August 22, 2024Rainbow Trout1,17614.5 inreport
June 6, 2024Rainbow Trout1,50012.4 inreport
May 31, 2024Smallmouth Bass51–report
May 22, 2024Smallmouth Bass27–report
May 16, 2024Rainbow Trout1,50013 inreport
April 22, 2024Rainbow Trout15012.8 inreport
April 22, 2024Rainbow Trout1,45012.6 inreport
October 4, 2023Tiger Trout1,31312.8 inreport
September 18, 2023Rainbow Trout1,58913 inreport
August 15, 2023Rainbow Trout1,50012.6 inreport
June 20, 2023Rainbow Trout1,50011.6 inreport
June 7, 2023Rainbow Trout20015.5 inreport
June 7, 2023Rainbow Trout1,30012.4 inreport
May 24, 2023Rainbow Trout3,10613 inreport
September 12, 2022Rainbow Trout50012.4 inreport
August 24, 2022Rainbow Trout1,31614 inreport
June 27, 2022Rainbow Trout1,50011.4 inreport
June 13, 2022Tiger Trout6,287–report
April 26, 2022Rainbow Trout10017 inreport
April 26, 2022Rainbow Trout1,50012.8 inreport
September 28, 2021Rainbow Trout10014 inreport
September 28, 2021Rainbow Trout1,500–report
September 24, 2021Rainbow Trout1,50012 inreport
June 30, 2021Rainbow Trout1,50011.4 inreport
May 17, 2021Rainbow Trout10012.8 inreport
May 17, 2021Rainbow Trout4,50011 inreport
October 3, 2019Rainbow Trout10015 inreport
October 3, 2019Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
August 22, 2019Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
June 25, 2019Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
June 4, 2019Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
May 8, 2019Rainbow Trout2,97711 inreport
May 8, 2019Rainbow Trout2,97711 inreport
October 9, 2018Rainbow Trout1,47711 inreport
October 4, 2018Rainbow Trout12415 inreport
September 6, 2018Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
June 25, 2018Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
May 31, 2018Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
May 4, 2018Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
October 6, 2017Rainbow Trout10015 inreport
October 6, 2017Rainbow Trout1,520–report
August 22, 2017Rainbow Trout1,52010.6 inreport
June 27, 2017Rainbow Trout1,52010.6 inreport
June 1, 2017Rainbow Trout1,52011.2 inreport
May 12, 2017Rainbow Trout53112.2 inreport
May 12, 2017Rainbow Trout10015 inreport
May 2, 2017Rainbow Trout2,50911.8 inreport
September 28, 2016Rainbow Trout1,52011.2 inreport
August 22, 2016Rainbow Trout5015 inreport
August 22, 2016Rainbow Trout1,52010 inreport
June 28, 2016Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
June 1, 2016Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
June 1, 2016Rainbow Trout1,52010 inreport
May 16, 2016Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
May 16, 2016Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
April 19, 2016Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
April 19, 2016Rainbow Trout1,52011 inreport
October 15, 2015Rainbow Trout1,52010.6 inreport
October 15, 2015Rainbow Trout5015 inreport
August 31, 2015Rainbow Trout1,5209.6 inreport
August 31, 2015Rainbow Trout5015 inreport
June 29, 2015Rainbow Trout1,41811.8 inreport
June 2, 2015Rainbow Trout1,52010.8 inreport
June 2, 2015Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
May 20, 2015Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
May 20, 2015Rainbow Trout1,52011.2 inreport
April 21, 2015Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
April 21, 2015Rainbow Trout1,52010.8 inreport
September 22, 2014Rainbow Trout5015 inreport
September 22, 2014Rainbow Trout1,52010.4 inreport
September 3, 2014Rainbow Trout1,52011.4 inreport
September 3, 2014Rainbow Trout5015 inreport
July 2, 2014Rainbow Trout1,52010.4 inreport
June 5, 2014Rainbow Trout1,52010.4 inreport
June 5, 2014Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
May 6, 2014Rainbow Trout1,52010.8 inreport
May 6, 2014Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
April 25, 2014Rainbow Trout1,52011.2 inreport
April 25, 2014Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
October 16, 2013Rainbow Trout5015 inreport
October 16, 2013Rainbow Trout1,52011.6 inreport
September 5, 2013Rainbow Trout1,52012 inreport
September 5, 2013Rainbow Trout5015 inreport
July 3, 2013Rainbow Trout1,52010.8 inreport
May 29, 2013Rainbow Trout1,52010.8 inreport
May 29, 2013Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
May 13, 2013Rainbow Trout15015 inreport
May 13, 2013Rainbow Trout3,04012 inreport
October 11, 2012Rainbow Trout1,52011.2 inreport
September 4, 2012Rainbow Trout5015 inreport
September 4, 2012Rainbow Trout1,5209.6 inreport
July 6, 2012Rainbow Trout1,5209.8 inreport
June 12, 2012Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
June 12, 2012Rainbow Trout1,52010.6 inreport
May 17, 2012Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
May 17, 2012Rainbow Trout58011.4 inreport
April 30, 2012Rainbow Trout7515 inreport
April 30, 2012Rainbow Trout1,52011.4 inreport

Access and facts

Water type
reservoir
Nearest town
Custer
Facilities
camping

A 19-acre lake inside Custer State Park, 6.8 miles north of Custer on Sylvan Lake Road. GFP says shore access is good around about 75% of the lake. The lakeside lodge rents kayaks and canoes, and the parking lot doubles as a trailhead for Black Elk Peak.

Drafted by AI from the cited sources and checked before publishing.

View larger map · Open in Google Maps · Directions

Advisories, closures, regulations and water conditions change. Check the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) before you go.

About Sylvan Lake

Photo of Sylvan Lake
Jennifer L. Sovanski, cropped and color-corrected by Daniel Case, CC BY 2.0
Photo of Sylvan Lake
Michael Boyd, CC BY 3.0
Photo of Sylvan Lake
Runner1928, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nearest lakes

Sheridan Lake 10.5 mi last stocked May 21, 2026 Pactola Reservoir 16.1 mi last stocked September 9, 2026 Deerfield Reservoir 16.8 mi last stocked September 9, 2026 Angostura Reservoir 35.3 mi last stocked April 24, 2026 Belle Fourche Reservoir 61.7 mi last stocked May 8, 2026

Public land at Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake is inside Custer State Park.

It is 0.6 miles outside the edge of Black Elk Wilderness.

Boundaries from Public Lands DB, part of the same network.

Common questions

What fish are at Sylvan Lake?

Fishing Sylvan Lake usually means Rainbow Trout: Rainbow Trout accounts for 114 of 119 plants on record, ahead of Smallmouth Bass and 2 more. Rainbow Trout was last stocked September 10, 2026, averaging 12.8 in. Smallmouth Bass was last stocked May 31, 2024. Tiger Trout was last stocked October 4, 2023, averaging 12.8 in. Cutthroat Trout was last stocked October 9, 2024. Golden Shiner and Fathead Minnow are recorded here outside the stocking reports.

When is Sylvan Lake stocked?

Last stocked September 10, 2026. It is stocked about 7.9 times a year since 2012, most often in May and June. No plants recorded in 2020.

How big are the fish stocked at Sylvan Lake?

Stocked fish average 12.8 in. Rainbow Trout average 12.8 in. Tiger Trout average 12.8 in.

How do you get on Sylvan Lake?

The nearest town is Custer. Facilities include camping. A 19-acre lake inside Custer State Park, 6.8 miles north of Custer on Sylvan Lake Road. GFP says shore access is good around about 75% of the lake. The lakeside lodge rents kayaks and canoes, and the parking lot doubles as a trailhead for Black Elk Peak.

Sources (6) +