Fishing Lake Holland in Hampshire County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  You will find Lake Holland in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. What surrounds it is pine and birch. At 11 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Belchertown lies 3.2 miles from the water. Beyond it, South Amherst at 4.1 miles and Pelham at 5.5 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lake Holland

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name brook trout, bluegill and pumpkinseed. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Lake Holland rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 71°F for July and 23°F for January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about late December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Lake Holland fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A picnic site half a mile off makes this workable with family in tow. Holland Glen Forest runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Arcadia Lake is 0.3 miles distant. Nothing on Lake Holland should be assumed from this page alone.