Pactola Reservoir is a 800-acre U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reservoir on Rapid Creek in Pennington County in the Black Hills of western South Dakota — the largest reservoir in the Black Hills and the primary recreational boating destination for the Rapid City metropolitan area. The lake sits in a narrow Black Hills canyon approximately 20 miles west of Rapid City at an elevation of 4,500 feet, creating a cold, clear mountain reservoir experience unlike any other lake in the South Dakota directory. Pactola’s Black Hills setting — surrounded by ponderosa pine forest and granite outcroppings in the Harney Range — makes it the most scenic reservoir in the state and draws boaters from across the Rapid City corridor seeking a mountain lake experience within an easy drive of western South Dakota’s largest city. The cold, deep water supports a lake trout and rainbow trout fishery managed by South Dakota Game Fish and Parks that is unique in the state directory. Smallmouth bass and walleye round out the fishery. Find Boat Services lists verified boat repair, motor service, electronics installation, trailer repair, and winterization providers serving Pactola Reservoir within 35 miles across Pennington County and the Black Hills corridor.