Holloway Lake Fishing Guide, Ravalli County, Montana

• Overview

  Look for Holloway Lake in the Ravalli County part of Montana. The surroundings are pine and birch. The water measures roughly 17 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. The town to know is Stevensville, 12 miles out. Spokane is the closest city, 165 miles away. Water in the same corner: Mills Lake roughly 0.2 miles, Duffy Lake lies 0.5 miles on, Peterson Lake roughly 1.4 miles, Sweeney Lake lies 1.7 miles on and South One Horse Lake roughly 2.2 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Holloway Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Across Ravalli County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and brook trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Holloway Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 55°F in August and bottoms out near 18°F in December. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid May. The open-water window runs from around mid May to about mid November in an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Holloway Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Mills Lake at 0.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Holloway Lake before loading the car.