Holland Lake?

[mattkimk]

Well I was planning on going to Grindstone this weekend but i am not sure if the ice is ok. Anybody know if Holland lake might be worth a look?

[Duffman]

Here is my annual take on Holland, and I haven't fished it in two years. It's not a designated trout lake, so the trout have seen plenty of bait and lures so far this winter, they'll be a little more wary than the average stocked trout. The lake has seen a ton of ice fishing pressure for it's size in the last 7-10 years, which has lead to potato chip sized sunnys and hammerhandles.

The trout are fun to catch, sight fishing is decent in the lake. Just don't expect them to be jumping out of the hole like other metro trout lakes on opener. Minnows are allowed as bait on the lake, and I have cought both rainbows and browns on them there. They continue to stock some bigger browns, but those fish have had some trouble during the summer months, I've seen numerous floaters during the heat in the past. But catching one of those bruiser brownies can make your trip.

Good luck if ya make it out there, don't expect a whole lot, but you never know what you might catch. I used to live on Holland, I've seen some dandys (pike and bass), and I've heard of some historical monsters, but I think those days are long gone now.

[AverageFisherman]

I'll be giving Holland a try this weekend. I live close by have yet to catch a trout there so am hoping this is the lucky weekend. I've been on it twice so far and saw a trout each time although they didn't even stop for a look at my bait (I wasn't trying for trout of course, and maybe the trout knew that?). The only sunnies I caught/saw were 3 inchers and the only northern was a little snake. No crappies.

Duffman, do you know if the trout bite better at dusk or early a.m.? My trout fishing is limited, but hope to figure out how to catch a few on Holland.

Thanks.

[-Marc V-]

Used to fish Holland more a couple years back also. Have fished it a handful of times in the last couple years. Think most of the stocked rainbows are fished out as we hadn't seen any, or maybe the heat killed some off. May still be a few in it, but not like years when the stocking trucks have been there...

That said, we always had luck early in the morning. As it gets to late morning, it got difficult to get them little buggers to bite. We had good luck with anything colored green, and a waxie, or eurolarva...for what it's worth. The ones that are still in there have been around for a while, so they're probably fairly educated...

Duffman...why did u leave Holland Lake? There's not many houses on the lake, but the ones that are are set back in the woods, and butt up against Lebanon Hills Regional Park...would be a dream home, except it isn't on a lake where you can have power boats...

[AverageFisherman]

Thanks Marc V I did go out last weekend, but no trout. Did catch a few crappies, but they were small.

[Lights]

I spent a few hours on Holland Sunday morning. Only caught some crappies and sunnies. No size to them at all. We did see six trout come though are holes but none of them wanted are presentations.

Mark

[Duffman]

Marc V.....

My folks moved into the house that was in the SE corner of the lake back in '86. It was where you could see an old warming house down by the lake before it and the house itself were razed this past fall. The park owned the house and were looking for somebody to live there for a couple years till they decided what to do with it, well, it took them 20 yrs to decide.

I was in college at the time, and would come home to my own little summer camp in the woods. I'd get get all camo'd up and go sit on game trails in the park, then scare the bejeezus out of 'yotes, foxes, deer, and coons when they got uncomfortably close to me.

I wish I was into fishing as much as I am now back then. But I did cut my icefishing teeth on that lake. I learned a lot out there, and back then a 5-7lb pike was a common catch. I've seen firsthand what overfishing has done to this lake. That's just the way it goes.

Knowing what I know now, I would've hit that lake hard in the summer months back in the late 80's when the shorelines were littered with downed trees. But when there was over a hundred bikini clad babes floating around on the lake, fishing wasn't on this young mans mind back then. I might of looked like I was fishing in the canoe, but I was enjoying all the natural scenery.

[-Marc V-]

Oh...the good old days of when floating was allowed on Holland...back then I wasn't all that much into fishing, and the same draw pulled me to that lake...small world. Still irritates me they closed that lake to tubing. But the babes on the lake wouldn't want to look at a chubby, hairy, middle-aged guy anyway, and would probably find a new lake.

would have been a great place to live...scaring 'yotes. That's great.

I've seen the same type of overfishing on a small Eagan lake I grew up across the street from. Still fish it from time to time. Notice people there regularly when there's big fish around. All the big fish are pulled out, people quit fishing it for quite a number of years, big fish grow again, the harvestors return. I know it's legal and all, and may lay my nose open with this line of thought, but it's sad to see the small pot hole lakes around where we live/lived go through this...

Thanks for bringing back the memories...now i'm stuck staring at a computer day after day waiting for the man to tell me when it's okay to fish.

[duffy]

Hi there I use to live in eagan what fun i had there on a sunday afternoons in the winter catching a trout threw the ice now that good times. thanks for the memories know i am stuck in mower county the only county in minnesota with out a natural lake, have a good winter maybe i can get up there one time this winter.

[Duffman]

Marc V...

Are you a Rosemount Grad? Class of '84 here. Eagan had a population of 20,000 when I moved there in '79, now it sits at 70,000. That type of growth will put the hurt on any fishery. Back when we were kids, a friend lived on Thomas, we would catch some nice pike, bass, and crappies on Gun Club, then do some personal stocking.

I'm sure there are some decendents of our work still swimming around today.

Ahhhh good times, good times.

[-Marc V-]

Duffman...I'm an Eagan High School Ulumni - class of '96. Think I was in the first class to make it through 6-12 of the new Eagan school. Remember my older neigbor friends heading out to Rosemount for high school before Eagan's was finished.

Fished a lot of the same lakes growing up. Used to fish Thomas Lake and Trap Farm Park when they had a decent bass populations and size. Spent most of my time on a lake I'll leave unnamed. It's my lake. Never made it to the Gun Club lake though. You referring to the lake by Pilot Knob, and 494? Have a feeling I'd still like to fish it. Fished a couple lakes back in Lebanon Hills a few times, but those took some effort to get to, so motivation to get back in there was lacking most days.

Eagan has grown. I left for college, and worked down in La Crosse, WI for about 6 years, then came back up to Eagan. Debated a long time on where to live around the cities, and Eagan just made the most sense. Would love to get out of the cities though. Folks in Rochester have the best of all worlds! Maybe someday.

[Duffman]

Marc...

Fished Gun Club before the existence of the 494 bridge, quite the hike with a cooler full of live fish.

You're a good man to leave your lake unnamed. Let the masses find their own honeyholes.

I'm in Savage now, but I'll always have a fond place in my heart for Eagan. I used to hunt ducks and pheasants where the Home Depot is up by Yankee Doodle, an old codger lived on the farm there all by his lonesome. He lived there his whole life and would tell stories of Indians coming up to his folks farm from the MNR valley in the winter looking for food. My how times have changed, and rather quickly, I ain't that old.

I think it's time to give Holland another try, just for old times sake. Maybe the fishing gods will reward this guy for returning to my old haunts? HA! Potato chip sunnies, here I come.

[-Marc V-]

Hope you do better down there than I have the last couple of times this year...potato chip sunnies you got right! Not even a snot rocket to keep things interesting...

[borg0196]

Holland has seen very heavy pressure these days. I work in the park and fish it myself a lot. I always catch and release. There are some huge northerns in there, but they are hard to catch. They usually fill up on all of those smaller fish in the lake. Those that are caught are usually taken. It used to have huge trout and largemouth as well, but many have been taken. People don't seem to understand that its a pretty small lake, and taking those big fish only leaves the small ones. The DNR tries to stock it, and used to quite a bit, but they are waiting for funds to install an aeration system. So for the past couple of years, and probably a while longer, they are only stocking if they have excess stock. With the low stocking, and the still high pressure, the lake has really taken a hit.

On the bright side, the lake is the best water quality in Dakota County. It was a big effort but the lake has really cleared up. Thats why the tubing and such was removed. The county will also be trying to re-establish some foliage along the north shore, where people keep parking along cliff rd. to help reduce the runoff. There are no parking signs there anyway, and it will help keep the water clean. I also know that a fishing line recycling program as well as a lead tackle exchange program have been initiated within the park. If you want to know more about fishing in the park stop in the Visitor Center and say hi. I fish all the lakes as often as possible, the ones that are worth a look anyway. I have caught a couple of nice 6lb largemouth in a couple of the lakes, and might be willing to share where;)