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Holter Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The last of the Missouri’s stairsteps: Holter mixes canyon walleye with rainbow water below, and eagles own the exchange.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
3,690 cfs
Air / High
76 / 77 F
Wind
W 7 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Holter Lake sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 3,690 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind W around 7 mph, rising pressure near 1007 hPa and a high of 77. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Rainbow troutGood

Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Largemouth bassFair

Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

Tomorrow: Similar at 77 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

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

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06066500.

3,1493,3703,5913,690 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp76 F
High / Low77 / 57 F
WindW 7-16 mph
Pressure1006.9 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain5% cloud, 12%
Sunrise / Sunset06:51 / 20:01
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 77/57 F, wind 14 mph, rain 12%

Fair or better. A 14 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

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.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

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
Smallmouth bass
Largemouth bass
Northern pike
Rainbow trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 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, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 79 F, wind to 16 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 34 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 81 F, wind to 34 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 87 F, wind to 14 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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 license. Walleye and perch under standard limits; trout rules tighten below the dam: check current FWP regs by reach.

Access

Holter Lake, Log Gulch and Departure Point BLM ramps; Gates of the Mountains marina for the upper canyon; Wolf Creek Bridge below the dam.

About this water

A 4,800-acre Missouri River reservoir through the Gates of the Mountains canyon, Lewis and Clark County, Montana.

Fishing Holter Lake: the full guide

Gates of the mountains

Holter is the final reservoir in the Missouri’s upper staircase: 25 canyon miles pinched through the Gates of the Mountains that Lewis named in 1805. The lake itself fishes two ways: walleye and perch work the weedy flats and rocky points of the lower basin, while rainbows and browns patrol the river-like upper canyon: and below Holter Dam begins the most famous tailwater in Montana, whose fly-shop economy colors everything here.

Walleye in trout country

Montana manages Holter as its premier walleye-trout balance: the walleye school on the points and 15-30-foot flats from the dam basin to Split Rock: jig-and-crawler, bottom bouncers, and leadcore cranks midsummer. Perch fill the same flats (and the winter ice). The kokanee cycle adds a trolling program in good years. Trout hold the moving upper canyon: troll cowbells or cast the cliff seams where the river current pushes through.

The tailwater next door

Most visiting anglers come for the river below the dam: the wade-and-float water toward Craig holds several thousand rainbows per mile eating scuds, sowbugs and dries year-round. It is a separate fishery with separate crowds: the lake above stays remarkably quiet by comparison. Doing both in a day: canyon walleye at dawn, evening caddis at Craig: is the local flex.

Canyon logistics

Ramps at Holter Lake Recreation Area, Log Gulch and Departure Point (BLM, with campgrounds) serve the lower lake; the upper canyon launches from Gates of the Mountains marina. Canyon wind funnels hard: afternoons get western fast. Wolf Creek and Craig supply shops and shuttles: Helena is 45 minutes. Bald eagles thicken every November for the kokanee spawn: bring the camera.

Common questions

Is Holter a walleye lake or a trout lake?

Both by design: FWP balances the populations. Walleye own the lower flats, trout the canyon current: pick your basin.

How does it compare to Hauser and Canyon Ferry?

Prettier than both, steadier than Hauser, fewer walleye than Canyon Ferry: and the only one with a world-class tailwater at its foot.

When is the perch ice bite?

January-February off the recreation-area flats: a Helena weekend tradition with kokanee as bycatch in good cycles.

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: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

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