Hidden Lake in Kenai Peninsula Borough: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Kenai Peninsula Borough in Alaska is where Hidden Lake sits. It sits in rolling bush. This is sizeable water at about 2.6 sq miles, and a boat opens up most of it. The margin runs to about 14 miles in total. On our Kenai Peninsula Borough list it sits near the top for size. Nearest place of any size is Funny River, 17 miles away. Sterling is 17 miles away, with Soldotna at 27 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Hidden Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name northern pike, sockeye salmon and rainbow trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Hidden Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 56°F at the top of summer and 20°F at the bottom of winter. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing Hidden Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Chatelain Lake, 1.2 miles out. Confirm access to Hidden Lake locally before you travel.