Holland Lake in Missoula County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Holland Lake is a Missoula County water, Montana side. Land around it is lake country bush. At 414 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The perimeter runs near 4.2 miles, so plan the walk before you start. It is among the larger waters listed here for Missoula County. The town to know is Seeley Lake, 19 miles out. After that come Ronan at 24 miles and Pablo at 26 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Holland Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout and northern pike. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Holland Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 62°F and January about 21°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Holland Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Sapphire Lake at 2.8 miles is the sensible second choice. For Holland Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.