Loading page content…
Loading lake conditions…
Holter Lake is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Montana. It covers roughly 4,800 surface acres (about 8 square miles). Other waters in the region include Canyon Ferry Lake. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Holter Lake are updated throughout the day.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
Winter Storm Warning issued October 9 at 11:29AM MDT until October 12 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
Overall Fair (59/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (77/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 87/100 across these hours. Dusk hours (19:00 local). 0% chance of precipitation. Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 79° | 75° | 72° | 65° | 62° | 60° | 58° | 56° | 54° | 52° | 52° | 49° | 48° | 47° | 45° | 42° | 40° | 38° | 36° | 35° | 34° | 34° | 34° | 34° |
| Wind (kts) | 17 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Direction | W | W | W | W | SW | W | W | W | W | SW | SW | W | W | NW | NW | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Gusts (kts) | 24 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 21 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 18% | 25% | 33% | 68% | 79% | 73% | 80% | 87% | 97% | 99% | 96% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 PM MDT | 79°F | 20 mph W (270°) | 28 mph | 0% | 31% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM MDT | 75°F | 17 mph W (270°) | 24 mph | 0% | 45% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM MDT | 72°F | 15 mph W (270°) | 21 mph | 0% | 48% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM MDT | 65°F | 12 mph WSW (248°) | 16 mph | 0% | 62% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM MDT | 62°F | 9 mph SW (225°) | 14 mph | 0% | 76% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM MDT | 60°F | 8 mph WSW (248°) | 15 mph | 0% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM MDT | 58°F | 8 mph WSW (248°) | 14 mph | 1% | 87% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM MDT | 56°F | 8 mph WSW (248°) | 12 mph | 1% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM MDT | 54°F | 7 mph WSW (248°) | 9 mph | 1% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM MDT | 52°F | 7 mph SW (225°) | 9 mph | 1% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 3 AM MDT | 52°F | 6 mph SW (225°) | 8 mph | 2% | 90% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 4 AM MDT | 49°F | 6 mph WSW (248°) | 8 mph | 2% | 92% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 5 AM MDT | 48°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 8 mph | 4% | 96% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 6 AM MDT | 47°F | 6 mph WNW (293°) | 8 mph | 18% | 96% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 7 AM MDT | 45°F | 7 mph WNW (293°) | 9 mph | 25% | 98% | Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 8 AM MDT | 42°F | 8 mph NNW (338°) | 12 mph | 33% | 97% | Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 9 AM MDT | 40°F | 9 mph N (0°) | 13 mph | 68% | 95% | Light Rain Likely |
| Sat, 10 AM MDT | 38°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 15 mph | 79% | 94% | Light Rain |
| Sat, 11 AM MDT | 36°F | 13 mph N (0°) | 17 mph | 73% | 94% | Light Rain Likely |
| Sat, 12 PM MDT | 35°F | 14 mph N (0°) | 20 mph | 80% | 95% | Rain |
| Sat, 1 PM MDT | 34°F | 15 mph N (0°) | 21 mph | 87% | 93% | Rain |
| Sat, 2 PM MDT | 34°F | 16 mph N (0°) | 23 mph | 97% | 98% | Rain |
| Sat, 3 PM MDT | 34°F | 16 mph N (0°) | 23 mph | 99% | 100% | Rain And Snow |
| Sat, 4 PM MDT | 34°F | 16 mph N (0°) | 24 mph | 96% | 98% | Rain And Snow |
| Sat, 5 PM MDT | 33°F | 16 mph N (0°) | 24 mph | 100% | 100% | Light Snow |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | This Afternoon October 9, 2026 | Tonight October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 82° | 40° | 43° | 29° | 31° | 28° | 42° | 29° | 49° | 34° | 54° | 35° | 54° | 35° |
| Wind | WSW 21 mph | WSW 6 to 17 mph | NNW 6 to 16 mph | N 17 to 24 mph | N 14 to 20 mph | N 9 to 15 mph | NNW 3 to 7 mph | SSW 5 to 9 mph | SSW 7 mph | SSW 5 to 12 mph | SSW 9 mph | WSW 7 mph | WNW 6 mph | W 5 to 8 mph |
| Gusts | 29 mph | 24 mph | 24 mph | 35 mph | 28 mph | 22 mph | 13 mph | 15 mph | 13 mph | 18 mph | 16 mph | 12 mph | 13 mph | 13 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 4% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 96% | 57% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 8% | 22% | 15% | 10% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Holter Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Nearby river temperature: 59.0°F at Missouri River bl Holter Dam nr Wolf Cr MT (0.3 mi away) · Oct 9, 10:45 PM UTC
Good for fishing (77/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Sky is partly cloudy (31% cloud cover). Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Poor for boating (43/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Winter Storm Warning. Gusts to 28 mph. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for sailing (66/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 20 mph from the W is workable but not ideal. Gusts exceed sustained wind by 8 mph, making the breeze puffy. Working against it: Active severe alert: Winter Storm Warning. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Poor for kayaking (45/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Air temperature 79°F. Working against it: Active severe alert: Winter Storm Warning. Gusts to 28 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
Loading interactive map…
Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of MT Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Holter Lake in MT is a popular freshwater reservoir known for its welcoming public recreation, scenic beauty, and dependable sport fishing. Multiple public access sites allow easy launching for trailered boats and personal watercraft. Park facilities and regional fisheries management are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is required for anglers age 12+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Common Carp. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Northern cold winter conditions with freezing air temperatures and potential surface ice formation. Ramps and water systems may be winterized. Confirm open status before visiting.
NWS API Web Service · License: U.S. Government work · Attribution: Data provided by the National Weather Service (api.weather.gov)
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Holter Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 5:27 PM MDT