First Hidden Lake Fishing Guide, Whatcom County, Washington

• Overview

  Look for First Hidden Lake in the Whatcom County part of Washington. It stands 4,291 feet above sea level. It covers about 19 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The nearest place of any size is Keremeos, 36 miles away. For a city, Chilliwack is 69 miles off. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on First Hidden Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Whatcom County, recorded fish include sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, white sturgeon and Chum salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On First Hidden Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 55°F in August and bottom out at 18°F in December. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on First Hidden Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Middle Hidden Lake, 0.6 miles away. What applies at First Hidden Lake may have changed since it was mapped.