Fishing Hidden Lake in Plumas County, California

• Overview

  Look for Hidden Lake in the Plumas County part of California. Height above sea level is 6,893 feet. The water measures roughly 2 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Our Plumas County list holds plenty of bigger water. Supplies mean a trip to Portola, 13 miles off. The big place round here is Reno, 48 miles distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Hidden Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Plumas County cover rainbow trout, brook trout and Sacramento sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Hidden Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 30°F to 61°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. The season on Hidden Lake rarely departs from it. A steady wind fishes better than a still, bright day.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Parking is not close: 0.9 miles from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Rock Lake, 1.1 miles out. Where Hidden Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.