Producers in the Central Great Plains are interested in intensifying the winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow rotation through inclusion of summer crops. The objectives of this study were to determine the relationship of crop grain or forage yield of short-season spring-planted crops to soil water availability prior to planting. The study was conducted on silt loam soils in 2004 and 2005 at Sidney, NE and Akron, CO. Three differential soil water levels were established prior to planting through use of supplemental irrigation. Four crops [pea (Pisum sativum L.) for grain, spring triticale (X Triticosecale rimpaui Wittm.) for forage, proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) for grain, and foxtail millet (Setaria italica L. Beauv.) for forage] were no-till seeded into corn (Zea mays L.) residue in a split-plot design with 4 replications per location. Yield of the crops responded positively to increasing soil water before planting in 2004. Dry matter accumulation of spring triticale increased by 178 and 324 kg ha^-1 cm^-1 at Sidney and Akron, respectively. Foxtail millet increased by 398 kg ha^-1 cm^-1 at Akron. Grain yield of pea increased by 126 kg ha^-1 cm^-1 when data was combined for Sidney and Akron. Proso millet grain yield increased by 83 kg ha^-1 cm^-1 at Akron. In 2005, spring triticale and pea did not respond to increasing soil water levels at planting as a result of ample growing season precipitation. It appears that the amount of soil water at planting may be a useful indicator of potential yield for short-season summer crops, particularly when growing season precipitation is not adequate for optimum yield. These relationships between soil water at planting and yield of short-season spring-planted crops may provide a basis for a decision support tool to aid farmers in making flexible cropping system choices.