Fishing Lake Holmes in McLean County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Lake Holmes falls in McLean County, part of North Dakota. Everything around it is lake country bush. At 415 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. Shoreline length is close to 4.9 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Some 18 miles away sits Washburn, the nearest settlement. Fargo is the closest city, 197 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Holmes

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for McLean County list bluegill, rainbow smelt, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Lake Holmes the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 69°F, while January sits near 9°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Lake Holmes runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Lake Brekken, 1.4 miles out. Ask locally about Lake Holmes if anything is unclear.