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Belle Fourche Reservoir is a reservoir located in South Dakota. It covers roughly 8,063 surface acres (about 13 square miles). Fish documented in the area include Green Sunfish. If you are planning a trip, Pactola Lake are also nearby. Below you will find an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Belle Fourche Reservoir.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 11, 2:58 PM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (84/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (87/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 81/100 across these hours. Wind 13 mph from the east. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 53° | 54° | 55° | 55° | 55° | 55° | 54° | 52° | 52° | 50° | 49° | 49° | 50° | 50° | 49° | 48° | 48° | 47° | 47° | 48° | 50° | 51° | 52° | 52° |
| Wind (kts) | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Direction | NE | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | SE | SW | W | W | W | W |
| Gusts (kts) | 15 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 26 |
| Precip % | 8% | 3% | 8% | 5% | 10% | 38% | 38% | 43% | 43% | 39% | 39% | 40% | 40% | 18% | 18% | 18% | 18% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 2% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 2 PM CDT | 53°F | 7 mph NE (45°) | 17 mph | 8% | 89% | Cloudy |
| Sun, 3 PM CDT | 54°F | 9 mph E (90°) | 20 mph | 3% | 87% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 4 PM CDT | 55°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 22 mph | 8% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 5 PM CDT | 55°F | 12 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 5% | 78% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 6 PM CDT | 55°F | 13 mph E (90°) | 29 mph | 10% | 70% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 7 PM CDT | 55°F | 14 mph E (90°) | 23 mph | 38% | 81% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 8 PM CDT | 54°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 23 mph | 38% | 81% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 9 PM CDT | 52°F | 16 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 43% | 87% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 10 PM CDT | 52°F | 16 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 43% | 89% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 11 PM CDT | 50°F | 16 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 39% | 88% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 12 AM CDT | 49°F | 16 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 39% | 86% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 1 AM CDT | 49°F | 17 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 40% | 86% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 2 AM CDT | 50°F | 17 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 40% | 85% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 3 AM CDT | 50°F | 17 mph E (90°) | 27 mph | 18% | 83% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 4 AM CDT | 49°F | 17 mph E (90°) | 27 mph | 18% | 88% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 5 AM CDT | 48°F | 16 mph E (90°) | 27 mph | 18% | 91% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 6 AM CDT | 48°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 24 mph | 18% | 90% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 7 AM CDT | 47°F | 14 mph E (90°) | 22 mph | 8% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Mon, 8 AM CDT | 47°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 20 mph | 8% | 89% | Cloudy |
| Mon, 9 AM CDT | 48°F | 8 mph SW (225°) | 17 mph | 8% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Mon, 10 AM CDT | 50°F | 8 mph W (270°) | 17 mph | 7% | 91% | Cloudy |
| Mon, 11 AM CDT | 51°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 21 mph | 7% | 90% | Cloudy |
| Mon, 12 PM CDT | 52°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 27 mph | 7% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Mon, 1 PM CDT | 52°F | 17 mph W (270°) | 30 mph | 2% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 2 PM CDT | 53°F | 18 mph W (270°) | 30 mph | 2% | 79% | Mostly Cloudy |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | This Afternoon October 11, 2026 | Tonight October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 | Saturday October 17, 2026 | Saturday Night October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 56° | 46° | 55° | 39° | 51° | 40° | 55° | 42° | 58° | 34° | 57° | 36° | 70° | 47° |
| Wind | NE 7 to 13 mph | E 14 to 17 mph | W 8 to 18 mph | NW 5 to 17 mph | NE 7 mph | NW 7 mph | NE 5 to 8 mph | S 9 mph | NW 9 to 39 mph | NW 9 to 36 mph | N 7 to 14 mph | SE 5 to 13 mph | SE 2 to 6 mph | SW 6 to 9 mph |
| Gusts | 29 mph | 27 mph | 30 mph | 24 mph | 14 mph | 13 mph | 16 mph | 13 mph | 55 mph | 52 mph | 25 mph | 22 mph | 13 mph | 12 mph |
| Precip % | 10% | 43% | 8% | 36% | 45% | 22% | 22% | 39% | 13% | 6% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (81/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the northeast. 8% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for boating (87/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the northeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (82/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the NE is workable but not ideal. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (86/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the northeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of SD Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Belle Fourche Reservoir is an established freshwater reservoir in SD that supports a vibrant mix of fishing, motorized watercraft, and paddle sports. Seasonal temperature shifts and water fluctuations influence both fish behavior and boating navigation throughout the year. Plan your visit with current USGS water data and official agency guidelines.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Green Sunfish. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Northern cold winter conditions with freezing air temperatures and potential surface ice formation. Ramps and water systems may be winterized. Confirm open status before visiting.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Belle Fourche Reservoir is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 11, 2:57 PM CDT