Fishing at Holder Lake, Smith County, Texas

• Overview

  Out in Smith County, Texas, sits Holder Lake. Everything around it is pine and hardwood. This is a pocket water of some 5 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Smith County list. The nearest place of any size is Tyler, 5.2 miles away. For a city, Tyler is 5 miles off. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Holder Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Public wildlife records from this area list largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, flathead catfish and Rio Grande longear sunfish. Use it to know what is possible here, not what is certain. On Holder Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 83°F in July and bottom out at 45°F in January. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Holder Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Bell Sand Lake is 0.9 miles off. Check the position on Holder Lake before loading the car.