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

• Overview

  Hidden Lake is one of the Missoula County listings for Montana. Height above sea level is 6,037 feet. Around 28 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Nearest place of any size is Seeley Lake, 14 miles away. For a city, Spokane is 176 miles off. Round about: Fly Lake 3.5 miles off, Yellow Lake just 4 miles, Boulder Lake 4.2 miles off, Bull Lake just 5.4 miles and Wapiti Lake 5.5 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Hidden Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Missoula County include rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, northern pike and sockeye salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Hidden Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 58°F for August and 20°F for December. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Hidden Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Fly Lake at 3.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Hidden Lake.