Hidden Valley Lake in North Norfolk: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  North Norfolk, Manitoba, is where Hidden Valley Lake sits. This is lake country bush ground. At about 11 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 2.9 km in total. Our North Norfolk list holds plenty of bigger water. Carberry at 30 km is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Portage la Prairie at 48 km and Shilo at 51 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Hidden Valley Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in North Norfolk include yellow perch, shorthead redhorse, white sucker, blackside darter and silver redhorse. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Hidden Valley Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -18°C and July at about 19°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Hidden Valley Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the perch, a small jig tipped with worm, dropped along the edges, is hard to beat. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Jackson Lake is 7.1 km off. Confirm before you fish Hidden Valley Lake.