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

• Overview

  Idaho County in Idaho is where Hidden Lake sits. The ground round it is pine and birch. This is a pocket water of some 6 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Nearest town is Grangeville, 28 miles off. Further out sit Kamiah (45 miles) and McCall (49 miles). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hidden Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Idaho County cover rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout and bull trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read Hidden Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 20°F to 52°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That shapes the year on Hidden Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Twin Lakes, 2.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Hidden Lake in what we hold.