Hidden Lake in Conejos County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Conejos County entry here is Hidden Lake, in Colorado. The bank is 10,240 feet above sea level. On water this small, stealth matters more than range. On size it sits at the modest end of our Conejos County list. Nearest town is Chama, 20 miles off. Pueblo sits 123 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Hidden Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Conejos County: white sucker, brown trout, green sunfish, black-spotted cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Hidden Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 17°F in January up to 55°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice-out usually falls in mid May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages suggest open water from about mid May through to roughly mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Hidden Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Beaver Lake is 3.1 miles distant. The position on Hidden Lake is worth confirming on the day.