Share your catch
US

Holter Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Holter Reservoir: a 3,667-acre Missouri River lake near Wolf Creek, a year-round rainbow trout, walleye and yellow perch fishery and the source of Montana's record walleye.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
3,150 cfs
Air / High
37 / 59 F
Wind
NNW 15 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06066500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Holter Lake rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The release below the dam is running 3,150 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings cloud cover, wind NNW around 15 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 59. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:05 AM-12:05 PM and 10:36 PM-12:36 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Brown troutExcellent

Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

WalleyeGood

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Yellow perchGood

Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 48 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Montana requires a fishing licence from age 12, from $31.00 for residents. What a Montana licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing rainbow trout here? Check the size and bag limits with FWP before you keep anything. The season dates for Montana, read off the agency, are on the Montana seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Creek.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06066500.

2,9943,1503,3063,150 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 81 years of October 23

At 3,150 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 06066500 (Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Creek) is at the 13th percentile for the date: below normal. In half of the 81 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 4,120 cfs; the highest was 10,100 cfs and the lowest 2,370 cfs.

p10 3,082median 4,120p90 6,094

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 06066500; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp37 F
High / Low59 / 33 F
WindNNW 15-30 mph
Pressure1012.5 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 100%
Sunrise / Sunset07:57 / 18:26
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)53 F USGS
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Holter Lake this week

Today is the pick of the week on Holter Lake, at 3 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 — fair at 3/5, rising pressure behind a front, typically the slowest.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:05 AM-12:05 PM and 10:36 PM-12:36 AM
Minor period
4:30 AM-5:30 AM
Sun
07:57 to 18:26
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Rain, 20 mph
Rain chance
100%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Holter Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

When to come: the Holter Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Walleye
Yellow perch
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Holter Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 72 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 13 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 67 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

Before you go

License

Montana requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Montana fishing license. FWP 2026 rules for Holter Reservoir (American Bar Gulch to Holter Dam): brown trout catch-and-release, except anglers 14 and under may keep 1; walleye 5 a day, only 1 over 25 inches; rainbow trout and kokanee 5 a day combined; yellow perch 25 a day; northern pike no limit; through the ice, 6 lines with 2 hooks each and spearing for pike.

Access

BLM's Log Gulch Recreation Site has a loading dock with a ramp on each side, two docks with boat slips and a fish cleaning station. On Oct. 8, 2026 BLM listed it as temporarily closed Sept. 14-Oct. 11 for site improvements and pointed campers to Devil's Elbow, Holter Lake or White Sandy.

About this water

3,667 acres (FWP) on the Missouri River, Lewis and Clark County, MT. Flow on this page comes from USGS gauge 06066500, Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Creek.

Fishing Holter Lake: the full guide

What FWP says

FWP lists Holter Reservoir at 3,667 acres in Region 4's Central district and calls it a popular year-round fishery for rainbow trout, walleye and yellow perch, with kokanee salmon targeted mainly in deeper water near the dam. A fish consumption advisory applies to the reservoir.

The state record walleye

Montana's state record walleye, 18.02 pounds and 32.25 inches, came from Holter Lake on May 10, 2021, according to FWP's record list.

Fall 2026 report

FWP's report for the week of Oct. 5, 2026 said rainbow fishing was great on the lower reservoir for anglers trolling almost anything shiny, around Split Rock, the Oxbow Bend and above Holter Dam. A few walleye and perch were coming from 25 to 40 feet near the Sleeping Giant, Cottonwood Creek and the Clay Banks, and kokanee fishing near the dam had slowed.

Below the dam

The Missouri River below Holter Dam has its own rules: from Holter Dam to Black Eagle Dam, FWP allows 3 trout a day, only 1 over 18 inches and only 1 brown trout, and 10 walleye a day.

Common questions

Is Holter a trout lake or a walleye lake?

Both. FWP describes a year-round fishery for rainbow trout, walleye and yellow perch, with kokanee near the dam.

What is the walleye limit on Holter?

Five a day, only one longer than 25 inches; possession is twice the daily limit.

Is Log Gulch open?

BLM listed a temporary closure from Sept. 14 to Oct. 11 for improvements, with Devil's Elbow, Holter Lake and White Sandy as alternatives.

Is fishing good at Holter Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Missouri River (Craig)1 miCanyon Ferry Lake41 miGallatin River73 miJefferson River76 miGeorgetown Lake82 miRock Creek83 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 06066500 — Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Creek
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:45 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 46.9478, -111.9655 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 8, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 8, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.