Fishing Hidden Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Hidden Lake lies in Douglas County, in Minnesota. The water sits 1,355 feet up. Surface area runs to about 13 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Douglas County are larger. Alexandria is the closest town at 7.5 miles. Fargo sits 92 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

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Douglas County include largemouth bass, common carp, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The near bank of Hidden Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 71°F and January near 9°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Hidden Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Boat access is recorded roughly half a mile away. The nearest car park is 130 yards from the water. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. A camping area sits within 170 yards of here. There are picnic tables half a mile away. Toilets show in mapping about 140 yards away. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Lake Carlos, 1.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Hidden Lake are worth checking on the day.