Stillhouse Hollow is not on most people's short list, but it absolutely should be. The water clarity here is remarkable for a Central Texas reservoir, and you can see your lure down 10 feet on a calm morning. I have caught some of my best striper sessions on this lake in September and October when fish are schooling on the main lake points just after first light. The lake is genuinely underutilized given what it produces, and the USACE manages the surrounding land well.
Today's Bite Score · October 8, 2026
Above average conditions worth planning a trip
🌘Waning Crescent
Stillhouse Hollow Lake Fishing Report
October FishingMonthly fishing report · October patterns and techniques
Anglers visiting Stillhouse Hollow Lake in October will find water conditions shifting as the month progresses. The bite is responding to cooling temperatures and changing light conditions, with fish adjusting their feeding patterns and positioning accordingly. This month brings a transition period at the lake where water quality and fish behavior create distinct opportunities for those targeting the right species in the right locations.
In October, anglers are finding that multiple species remain active throughout the month. Bass, catfish, and other gamefish are holding in areas that provide both comfort and access to food sources. The specific depth zones and structural features that hold fish this month depend on the individual species being targeted, with each responding differently to the environmental changes occurring at Stillhouse Hollow Lake during this period.
Anglers pursuing fish this month should focus on techniques and presentations that match current conditions at Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Live bait and artificial lures both produce results in October, with success depending on species selection, presentation depth, and location. Experimenting with different bait types and retrieval methods helps anglers determine what the bite is responding to on any given day at this lake.
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Stillhouse Hollow Lake Fishing Guides
Looking for a Stillhouse Hollow Lake fishing guide? The stripers at Stillhouse go deep fast and the bite windows can be narrow — guides who fish this Hill Country reservoir daily know the seasonal patterns that make the difference. Go here → to check out our recommended fishing guides for Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Then scroll down on that page to see all of the Stillhouse Hollow Lake fishing guides.
Stillhouse Hollow Lake Fishing Strategies by Species
Seasonal patterns and techniques by target species · Verified against official sources
Stillhouse Hollow Lake is a USACE flood control reservoir on the Little Lampasas River in Bell County, Texas, a few miles southwest of Belton and adjacent to the Killeen-Temple metropolitan area. The lake covers 6,430 acres and reaches nearly 100 feet deep near the dam, giving it exceptional water clarity and a thermal profile that supports a landlocked striped bass population as well as largemouth bass, white bass, hybrid striped bass, crappie, and channel catfish. As a sister lake to Belton Lake just downstream on the Lampasas River, Stillhouse Hollow attracts less fishing pressure and often produces better results for serious anglers.
Stillhouse Hollow Lake Striped Bass Fishing Report
Stillhouse Hollow Lake holds one of the better inland striped bass fisheries in Central Texas. TPWD has stocked stripers in the lake, and the population is sustained through ongoing stocking efforts given that the Little Lampasas River does not provide suitable spawning conditions for natural reproduction. Fish grow well on a shad forage base and regularly reach 10 to 20 pounds, with larger individuals caught by anglers working the deep water near the dam. The lake's depth and clarity are key: with the thermocline establishing in the 20 to 35 foot range in summer, stripers can be found in a relatively narrow band that makes them targetable with downriggers or deep-running trolling presentations. Fall is the most exciting time to fish for Stillhouse stripers. From September through November, cooling surface temperatures collapse the thermocline and fish become active across a much wider depth range, often pushing shad to the surface near the main lake points and along the steep bluffs on the dam end of the lake. Casting large swimbaits and flutter spoons into surface-busting fish is the most exhilarating way to fish the lake. Dawn and dusk are peak activity windows. During summer, live shad fished on downriggers at 25 to 40 feet along the main lake channel is the proven approach. Always verify current TPWD striped bass regulations, including size and bag limits, before fishing.
Stillhouse Hollow Lake Largemouth Bass Fishing Report
Largemouth bass fishing at Stillhouse Hollow is characterized by the lake's clear water and hard structure. The absence of significant standing timber means fish relate primarily to rock points, bluff walls, submerged brush, and boat dock structure. The clear water makes bass more light-sensitive than on stained Texas reservoirs, and anglers need to adjust accordingly: natural color plastics, finesse presentations, and fishing low-light windows produce far more consistent results than power fishing in bright midday conditions. A drop-shot rig with a 4-inch straight-tail worm in green pumpkin or watermelon is one of the most reliable summer presentations on Stillhouse. Spring is the most forgiving time to fish largemouth on Stillhouse Hollow. Fish move from the deeper bluff structure to the flatter clay and rock banks in 4 to 8 feet from late February through April, making them more accessible to a wider range of presentations. Jigs with craw trailers fished around any brush or woody debris on the spawning flats produce well during the spawn. The coves on the upper end of the lake where the Little Lampasas River enters hold spawning fish each spring. Post-spawn bass stack on the first available deep structure off the spawning flats. Standard Texas statewide bass regulations apply; verify current rules at tpwd.texas.gov.
Stillhouse Hollow Lake White Bass Fishing Report
White bass provide outstanding spring action on Stillhouse Hollow Lake, and a secondary fall fishery when fish school on the surface chasing shad. The spring run begins in late February when white bass move into the upper end of the lake and into the Little Lampasas River arm to spawn over gravel bars and rocky shoals. This run can be exceptionally dense, with fish stacking in the current below shallow structure in numbers that make for fast action on nearly any small lure. White curly-tail grubs, rooster tail spinners, and small white crankbaits all produce during the run. The run typically peaks in March and tapers off by mid-April. Fall white bass schooling on Stillhouse Hollow is often overlooked because the striper fishing gets more attention, but the schools can be very active from September through November. White bass and hybrid stripers often school together on the main lake points, and casting 1/2-ounce blade baits or small silver crankbaits into the melee is as action-packed as freshwater fishing gets in this region. Keep an eye out for diving birds over the main lake as a reliable indicator of surface-busting fish. Texas statewide regulations apply to white bass; check the TPWD website for current rules.
Stillhouse Hollow Lake Catfish Fishing Report
Channel catfish are well-established in Stillhouse Hollow and provide consistent action for bottom-fishing anglers, particularly in the evening and overnight hours during summer. The deeper creek channel areas in the upper end of the lake and the flats adjacent to the main channel produce channel cats in the 2 to 6 pound range on standard cut shad, chicken liver, or commercial catfish bait rigs. The USACE park areas around the lake provide convenient bank access for catfish anglers without boats, and these areas see regular action from campers and local anglers during summer evenings. Night fishing is particularly effective on Stillhouse Hollow because the lake's clear water means daytime catfish activity is somewhat suppressed on shallow structure. After dark, fish move into shallower water around 6 to 15 feet and feed more actively. Running two or three bottom rods with different baits simultaneously is a good way to determine what the fish are preferring on any given night. Flathead catfish are also present in the lake's deeper holes. Verify TPWD catfish regulations for current bag and size limits before keeping fish.
For fishing heavy cover after Striped Bass, I run 50-65lb braid. Zero stretch means you feel every bite and you can pull fish out of structure before they wrap you. Reaction Tackle is where I restock. Their low-vis green disappears in most water conditions.
Top Fish to Target in Stillhouse Hollow Lake
Lures for Stillhouse Hollow Lake
Tackle matched to this lake's species and structure.
Worth checking before any trip: your line. Old braid gets brittle at the tag end and loses sensitivity over time. I rotate mine every season. Reaction Tackle is where I order from when it's time to restock.
About Stillhouse Hollow Lake
Stillhouse Hollow Lake sits three miles south of Belton in Bell County, Texas, created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed the Stillhouse Hollow Dam on the Little Lampasas River in 1968. The project was authorized for flood control and water supply for the Killeen-Temple metropolitan area. The lake covers 6,430 surface acres at conservation pool and reaches a maximum depth of 96 feet near the dam, making it one of the deeper lakes in Central Texas. The surrounding 6,000 acres of USACE-managed land provides public access, camping, and recreation around most of the lake's shoreline.
The clear water that distinguishes Stillhouse Hollow from many Central Texas reservoirs is a product of the lake's watershed and geology. The Little Lampasas River drainage through limestone Hill Country terrain delivers relatively clean water compared to the more turbid Trinity and Brazos tributaries. Underwater visibility of 8 to 15 feet is common on calm days, which affects fishing tactics significantly. Bass anglers who understand clear-water techniques, finesse rigs, and natural color presentations tend to outperform those using the power-fishing approach common on stained Texas reservoirs.
The lake sits adjacent to Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos), the large Army installation in Killeen, which limits development on the western shores. This has the side effect of preserving shoreline quality and limiting residential dock density compared to private-reservoir lakes in the region. The USACE campgrounds and day-use areas are well-maintained and provide some of the best public waterfront access in the Killeen-Temple area. Dana Peak Park on the western shore is particularly popular with campers, kayakers, and bank anglers.
Stillhouse Hollow is paired closely with Belton Lake as a sister reservoir system on the Lampasas River drainage. Anglers in the area often fish both lakes depending on conditions and target species. Belton Lake, a short drive away, tends to receive more overall traffic, leaving Stillhouse Hollow comparatively quiet. For serious anglers targeting striped bass or clear-water largemouth, Stillhouse Hollow is the preferred choice of the two.
