holland lake - Eagan

[rivercat]

I was wondering if anyone on this forum has been out on Holland Lake in Eagan recently? I have seen a few people out there but was wondering if it's possible to get a fishing / ice report on the lake.

-rc

[walleyecheeks]

Well I haven't been out there this year. But hit it a couple times last year for trout. I was sight fishing and saw lots of browns but couldn't manage a bite.

[Jospeh]

Nothing!!! Small amount of numbers for sure in thAT lake just like every year!

[rivercat]

I have not ice fished there yet. I have never had any luck in the summer. With the amount of trout in the lake someone must have a good trick to finding the bite.

Rc

[bobbymalone]

several times a year someone will post about this lake and the mystical trout it supposedly contains. It has potato chips and hammer handles and that's about it. Many a fisherman has wasted their time there after the trout.

With the amount of trout in the lake someone must have a good trick to finding the bite.

put some crunchy cat or dog food on a hook and fish 10 minutes after the stocking truck dumps retired brood stock in there if you want to catch a trout.

The mortality of stocked fish is high, the stocking is infrequent, and the natural reproduction is nonexistent.

[Jospeh]

Yeah, what he said!

[catchem1986]

i go out to holland lake every year to fish trout i have caught some very nice brown and decent rainbows the trick that i have found is shallow water and a crappie minnow about 2ft below the ice a good spot for those of you would like to try is punch a hole right next to the fishing pier acts as great structure and cover for the trout let me know how you do

[Urban]

I see how it is easy for locals to get frusterated with the interest in this lake... every year...

Here is some recent insider info... well, not really insider, you just have to ask the the right people. As far as I can tell, if you want to catch decent sized fish drive an extra 40mn north, or NW... want to take the kids fishing and catch small fish, Eagan is a great place.

"Holland Lake is a very interesting and complex basin. As you mention, it does winterkill but also experiences summerkill on occasion. To understand the dynamics of this lake we hired a research team from the University of Minnesota, St. Anthony Falls Hydraulics Laboratory. To make a long story short, Dr. Heinz Stephen and his graduate student found that ground water enters the lake in the shallow eastern basin (from southeast to northwest). This ground water (which is devoid of oxygen) entrains yet more oxygen poor water in the heavily vegetated areas and deposits this mass of water in the deepest portion of the lake. Over time, the oxygen poor water absorbs the available oxygen and the entire system is compromised.

The experts at the Hydo lab devised a system that may solve this phenomena but it consists of two separate aerators (one for the shallow zone and one suspended aerator for the deep zone. The cost of such a device was estimated at $100,000. As you may well understand, the cost/benefit of such a device makes the expenditure unreasonable. We are currently working with Dakota County Parks to install a surface aspirating aerator and we have had this purchase on our priority list for several years. As you may also know, our budget has been severely reduced over the past few years and expenses like this have been bypassed in lieu of fleet, energy costs and other necessities. Dakota County also has the purchase of an aerator for Holland in their budget proposal. So hopefully, between our two agencies we can realize this cost of the equipment.

I would like to add that even if an aeration is installed at Holland, you need to have reasonable expectations about the fishery. I've experienced many homeowner's associations that thought an aeration system would magically provide a fantastic fishing lake only to be disappointed. In many cases, the small fish prosper and the large fish are immediately harvested.

While we are waiting for the installation of the aeration system, we will continue to provided a seasonal put and take trout fishery to provide angling opportunities."

[Jospeh]

Nicely put!!! And thanks I did not know about the research and the water that enters the lake. But my buddy did get a nice 21 inch Brown outta there this yr after fishing there all day, in shallow water. Very good nothern fishing.... bring the tip ups and suckers to get them boys, Good luck

[borg0196]

The DNR has purchased an aerator, they are currently just waiting on the county to step it up and let them do the work to install it.