Holden Lake
MU 1-5, Vancouver Island
49.1014° N, 123.8300° W
- Surface area
- 36.5ha
- Maximum depth
- 6.4m
- 21 ft
- Elevation
- 8m
Located southeast of Nanaimo, 5 km (3 mi) southeast of Cedar in the Yellow Point area via Cedar Road to Hemer Provincial Park.
Open Holden Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Holden Lake at a glance
- Region
- Vancouver Island
- Management unit
- MU 1-5
- Species
- Cutthroat Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1959), Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1979), Peamouth Chub, Pumpkinseed (last recorded 1979), Stickleback (General) (last recorded 1979), Prickly Sculpin (last recorded 1959)The province's newest fish record here is from 2009.Species from the province's fish observation records and angling reports.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 49.1014, -123.83
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Gear for cutthroat trout
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Fish on record at Holden Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutthroat Trout | 1926 | 2009 | 29 |
| Rainbow Trout | 1942 | 1959 | 8 |
| Chinook Salmon | 1979 | 1979 | 1 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1959 | 1998 | 3 |
| Pumpkinseed | 1979 | 1979 | 1 |
| Stickleback (General) | 1979 | 1979 | 1 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1959 | 1959 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Holden Lake
Best times of year at Holden Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Holden Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Holden Lake yet.
Getting to Holden Lake
A cartop boat launch is provided in Hemer Provincial Park.
Coordinates: 49.1014, -123.83
Camping and rec sites at Holden Lake
- Hemer Provincial Park (Holden Lake)
Day-use provincial park with cartop kayak/canoe launch, extensive forest trails & marsh boardwalks (No overnight camping)
Facilities: Cartop Launch, Picnic Tables, Pit Toilets, Boardwalk Trails, Viewing Platform
Access: Paved Cedar Rd via Nanaimo (2WD)
Depth chart for Holden Lake
6.4 mdeepest
Holden Lake runs to 6.4 m (21 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Holden Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1979.
The ice year at Holden Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Holden Lake froze in 38 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 15 December and 14 January, and ice-off between 5 January and 4 February. The median winter freezes on 29 December and opens on 17 January.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 3 February 2025 to 18 February 2025, 15 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Holden Lake, so the general regional regulations apply.
Whether a lake is open to ice fishing says nothing about whether its ice will hold you. Ice conditions vary year to year and across a single lake. Check locally before going out, every time.
Holden Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Holden Lake is 0.8 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.8 Csince the 1960s
- 10.6 Caverage year now
- 9.8 Caverage year then
- -9 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Holden Lake
The forecast on this lake's own coordinate, refreshed through the day. The app reads these seven days for fishing and scores each one.
| Day | Sky | High / low | Wind | Rain | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct | Clear sky | 15° / 5° | 16 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 7° | 10 km/h, gusts 23 | dry | Falling (-5.6 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 8° | 22 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Steady |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 6° | 20 km/h, gusts 26 | dry | Rising (+10.2 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 5° | 17 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.4 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 7° | 10 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Falling (-1.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 8° | 6 km/h | dry | Steady |
Holden Lake, in brief
What fish are in Holden Lake?
Cutthroat Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1959), Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1979). Species from the province's fish observation records and angling reports.
Which management unit is Holden Lake in?
Holden Lake is in MU 1-5, on Vancouver Island. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Holden Lake
- Quennell Lake 4 km away
- Long Lake (Nanaimo) 6 km away
- Priest Lake 7 km away
- Michael Lake 7 km away
- Harewood (Extension) Lake 8 km away
All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.