Holiday Island

[Ruger5555]

First post here, but I read all 15 pages going back to 2005  😆  I'm not going to be "that guy" that makes one post asking for all the good spots and never returns. Rather find my own spots, but any depth and safety advice would be great. My brother bought a house on Holiday Island so I plan on making numerous regular trips down and back.

 

I've hired a guide that said he can run me from Holiday Island all the way down to Spider Creek. Figured I'd pick his brain first day and have him show me potential hazards. I will be bringing my deep V for the rest of the days. I have Lakemaster chips, but from reading here looks like I can run all the way down to the 62 bridge in a deep V. Looks like 62 and above is no wake. 

 

From the Beaver bridge looking back north are there any hazards around the old railroad bridge? Looked like I saw some concrete there maybe. 

 

Looks like full pool is 915 to 917. What do you guys classify as low water where I should be concerned on depths say down to 62? I think I saw someone say at low water then Houseman is about as far up as you can run. 

 

Are there any hazards to worry about running from Holiday Island to Eagle Rock? I'm mainly going south the first trip, but for future knowledge. 

 

I figured I'd buy what I don't have at the Beaver Dam store to support local. Looking to target trout and walleye this trip or whatever bites. I have Rapala Countdowns, Rapala Jig Raps, spoons, jerkbaits etc. Any must haves? 

 

I tried to do as much research as possible without asking silly questions or asking for top secret spots 😀

 

 

[Ruger5555]

Anyone run the Leatherwood Creek stretch? I've seen quite a few boats down there. It's all no wake is my understanding. 

[Quillback]

I'll tag rps so he sees this - he used to live in Holiday island and fished that area quite a bit.  @rps

 

[Ruger5555]

8 hours ago, Quillback said:

I'll tag rps so he sees this - he used to live in Holiday island and fished that area quite a bit.  @rps

 

I've read quite a few of his posts and taken notes 👍

[Devan S.]

Its been awhile but leather wood is reasonably small and idle speed means fairly safe. 

Between HI and Housman there isn't much.  @rps will trump anything I say by far. He lived and breathed that area for years. 

Going out of Holiday Island marina and toward Beaver....the first straight. I think there is some submerged timber on the right minimal at 918' but maybe at 911 or less could be an issue I'm not sure.....right down the middle should be fine.

After that.....a big flat on the left side again going upstream. Google earth and roll back the image to 2006....this is a low water and will show you the flat....again little issue at 915 down the middle. 

Really for the most part after this the area behaves very much like a river.....deep side channel to outside and flat to inside. Google earth is your friend here too. To houseman there isn't much. A few flats but they are fairly obvious and at 918' certainly deep enough to run. 

Without generation I can make it past the old bridge piers with them running 3000 cfs at Beaver and without trimming up my motor. I did this last weekend so this is pretty fresh:

To 62 @ 918 no biggie there is a big flat below but its obvious. 

At the old bridge piers its shallow and frankly without generation it would have been a tight squeeze. This area is circled fairly large flat....obviously idle speed. Above this we hugged the right bank going upstream. We stayed right at the island and was able to make it right to the top of the island marked across by red. I think I could have made it through at 918 and 3000 cfs release from Beaver but I don't know what it gains me. I may have made it to bertand but certain I could not make it to parker bottoms.   I have an xpress bass boat so fairly shallow running but not jet boat/flat bottom extreme. 

this should get you started.

[rps]

Oh my. What  broad canvas to paint.

910 and below, do not go above Houseman, (even that will be difficult) and beware anything out of the channel until you reach Eagle Rock. What you will find is riverine.

At 930, the max, you can reach Spider Creek and anything below that is "lake."

Between those two numbers, what you find is subtle. Many good spots for both bass and walleye. I have posted about the community holes for walleye at the timber near HI and Eagle Rock.

The HI cove (Leatherwood), Haddock Creek, and Stubblefield Branch you need to learn on your own. At the right time and in the right season you can catch bass and walleye. All are intensive study and no one should share because they are micro fisheries.

If you read my past posts, you will find many "localized" reports for that area.

I know it sounds selfish, but that end of the lake is small. It cannot stand a how to and where to map. You need to learn on your own. It will be worth it. My largest walleyes were 13.25 and 10. My largest largemouth was 8.5. My best 5 bass string was just under 20. Not bragging, but suggesting the time will be worth it.

Just know the time you spend will be worth it.

I will give you a little tease. Just out of HI marine go down lake. Across the lake from Haddock Creek there is a flat with an island. In the right season, at the right water level, and at the right time, and with the right top water, I have caught multiple 5+ pound bass.

Good luck.

 

 

 

[Ruger5555]

9 hours ago, Devan S. said:

Its been awhile but leather wood is reasonably small and idle speed means fairly safe. 

Between HI and Housman there isn't much.  @rps will trump anything I say by far. He lived and breathed that area for years. 

Going out of Holiday Island marina and toward Beaver....the first straight. I think there is some submerged timber on the right minimal at 918' but maybe at 911 or less could be an issue I'm not sure.....right down the middle should be fine.

After that.....a big flat on the left side again going upstream. Google earth and roll back the image to 2006....this is a low water and will show you the flat....again little issue at 915 down the middle. 

Really for the most part after this the area behaves very much like a river.....deep side channel to outside and flat to inside. Google earth is your friend here too. To houseman there isn't much. A few flats but they are fairly obvious and at 918' certainly deep enough to run. 

Without generation I can make it past the old bridge piers with them running 3000 cfs at Beaver and without trimming up my motor. I did this last weekend so this is pretty fresh:

To 62 @ 918 no biggie there is a big flat below but its obvious. 

At the old bridge piers its shallow and frankly without generation it would have been a tight squeeze. This area is circled fairly large flat....obviously idle speed. Above this we hugged the right bank going upstream. We stayed right at the island and was able to make it right to the top of the island marked across by red. I think I could have made it through at 918 and 3000 cfs release from Beaver but I don't know what it gains me. I may have made it to bertand but certain I could not make it to parker bottoms.   I have an xpress bass boat so fairly shallow running but not jet boat/flat bottom extreme. 

this should get you started.

That definitely gets me started. I appreciate the help. I'm sure my Lakemaster chips will help but you just having made that run is much better.

[Ruger5555]

5 hours ago, rps said:

Oh my. What  broad canvas to paint.

910 and below, do not go above Houseman, (even that will be difficult) and beware anything out of the channel until you reach Eagle Rock. What you will find is riverine.

At 930, the max, you can reach Spider Creek and anything below that is "lake."

Between those two numbers, what you find is subtle. Many good spots for both bass and walleye. I have posted about the community holes for walleye at the timber near HI and Eagle Rock.

The HI cove (Leatherwood), Haddock Creek, and Stubblefield Branch you need to learn on your own. At the right time and in the right season you can catch bass and walleye. All are intensive study and no one should share because they are micro fisheries.

If you read my past posts, you will find many "localized" reports for that area.

I know it sounds selfish, but that end of the lake is small. It cannot stand a how to and where to map. You need to learn on your own. It will be worth it. My largest walleyes were 13.25 and 10. My largest largemouth was 8.5. My best 5 bass string was just under 20. Not bragging, but suggesting the time will be worth it.

Just know the time you spend will be worth it.

I will give you a little tease. Just out of HI marine go down lake. Across the lake from Haddock Creek there is a flat with an island. In the right season, at the right water level, and at the right time, and with the right top water, I have caught multiple 5+ pound bass.

Good luck.

 

 

 

It's not selfish at all. I wouldn't give up info either. I feel the reward is much sweeter when you have to work for it anyway. I was looking more for navigational tips and hazards, not honey holes. I've watched quite a few boats in Leatherwood with binoculars and mentally noted where they spent significant time 😂 you don't live in the HI area anymore? How long have you been gone and do you ever make it back? 

[rps]

 

2 hours ago, Ruger5555 said:

It's not selfish at all. I wouldn't give up info either. I feel the reward is much sweeter when you have to work for it anyway. I was looking more for navigational tips and hazards, not honey holes. I've watched quite a few boats in Leatherwood with binoculars and mentally noted where they spent significant time 😂 you don't live in the HI area anymore? How long have you been gone and do you ever make it back? 

My wife and I started second careers as teachers in 2002. We lived on Table Rock Drive up on the bluff that over looks the marina. We retired in May 2019 and returned to Tulsa and family. My boat is on Skiatook Lake now. So far it hasn't measured up.

[rps]

Nav tips related to water levels.

915 and below, learn where the channel runs and stay in it. Of particular danger are an island on the left as you head up river before the first bend, right after that bend a large flat on the left and then the channel veers to the other side just before the Beaver campground.

Going down river, the first lookout comes immediately. From the mouth of Haddock Creek, the channel runs to the docks on the other side of the lake. It turns to go downstream right at those docks. When the water is low stay in that channel. To the right of it shallows up. Farther down river just below Stubblefield Branch a long flat extends clear out to the channel which is on the right side.

Opposite the mouth of the Roaring River, beware the hidden sand bar on the opposite side.