Hidden Lake(Kenai Peninsula)

[Baiter]

Just wondering if any of you guys have heard anything about hidden lake down on the kenai peninsula, was thinking about heading down sometime this week since the weather is getting warmer.

Baiter

[groundsluice_pete]

Hey-
Yeah, I was out on hidden weekend before last. DEAD, DEAD, DEAD! Everyone I spoke with wasn't catching. However, the weekend before was good (at least for my son).
If you can't catch lakers, there are quite a few kokanees to be caught, and a few rainbows too. One guy who I talked to had caught a nice rainbow on a very large spoon while jigging out his car window.
To my knowledge, snowmobiles are still technically illegal on the lake, though you can go anywhere with a car.
Most everywhere on the lake is good for traveling, and I've seen people fishing from a few thousand feet from the boat ramp to nearly to the end. There are few creeks, though the far end has a creek. people say stay away from the islands because of upswelling. 

[Baiter]

Thanks for the info groundsluice pete,  Me and my brothere are gonna try it tomorrow.  We might not catch anything, but it is always fun to try.  I have been wanting to hit up Hidden for a while but last weeks cold weather just made it sound miserable.  Will post how it was.

Baiter

[groundsluice_pete]

So'd you go, Baiter? My guess, if you did, it was a windy bugger! I went to sign up for the local derby down here and walked out of Trustworthy hardware with a Hi-tech ice shack! Got it all assembled but will wait for calmer weather. Gusting to 40 here, but at least it's warmer.

[Baiter]

Yea we went out, it wasn't windy at first but it picked up in the afternoon.  Fishing wasn't great either.  My brother caught a nice Kokanee and that was it.  We probably had at least a dozen or more hits but they were just playing with it, it was probably those Kokanee playing with it.  We tried tube jigs, krocodiles, spoons, bucktails, you name it.  Seen about 7 or 8 other groups of guys cruisin the lake, but didn't talk to anyone.  We were fishing up past the islands on the north side of the lake.  The bite should get a little better with this warm weather, I am gonna try it agian in a week or two.  I haven't caught a laker through the ice yet this year and that was my second time going after them.

Baiter

[Hungry4Fish]

Hey-
Yeah, I was out on hidden weekend before last. DEAD, DEAD, DEAD! Everyone I spoke with wasn't catching. However, the weekend before was good (at least for my son).........

Was it clear and cold the weekend you went, and cloudy the previous weekend?

I’d heard from an avid ice fisherman that you may as well not even bother during a high pressure time frame, when the skies are clear and temps are cold, but when a low pressure system moves in, and it gets cloudy, warm, and starting to snow, get to fishing, because it will be hot!

Anybody else notice this?




Good to finally post here and “meet” you guys. I’ve been lurking for a few weeks. You folks seem to be a fine, small group.

I live in Palmer, and have been Alaskan since 1974. I’ve done a share of ice fishing, but mostly in local Mat-Su lakes with my kids when they were small, or out to Flathorn with “the guys”. I want to get into it a bit more. In order to do that more comfortably I’m looking into getting a portable shack. I’m even thinking of building a hard-sided shack for Big Lake.

....To my knowledge, snowmobiles are still technically illegal on the lake, though you can go anywhere with a car.....

I’d heard that people just drive out in their vehicles, and that most of the time this is possible. But I’m sure there are years with deep snow, or the lake doesn’t freeze enough.

Why are snowmobiles prohibited?

[groundsluice_pete]

Hungry-
because it is a "wilderness area". If they get anywhwere between  12-18" of snow (for ground cover) the Moose Range people open it up. On Hidden, the sides are so steep a person probably couldn't go off the lake anyway, but... no sense in fooling with the feds.

Baiter-
sorry to hear you didn't get anything. I had a friend who flyfished this weekend at the top of Kenai River, coming out of the lake, and he did well. I had heard from a friend who was back and forth on Skilak that it was relatively calm there, which is funny cause that is usually a wind funnel and Soldotna was blowing hard.

[Baiter]

Pete,

You said your buddy did good on the Kenai right below the lake. I think I saw him when we were driving past, there was only one guy out there, this was on Saturday.  Was he catching some nice rainbows, dollies. You know what he was using.  A buddy of mine was thinking of flyfishing this coming week.  Thanx

Baiter

[Halfrack]

Keep up the posts on trips to Hidden Lake. I am curious about what comes out of there. I haven't heard about anything good since a 30lb Laker came out of there years ago. I was also thinking to going myself. But have been on edge about going out on the lake with a vehichle , since I went through Skilak several years ago.


Aaron
Kenai

[Baiter]

Halftrak,

Taking a vehicle out on Hidden Lake this year is no problem.  I was there a few weeks ago and there was 30+ inches of ice everywhere we went on the lake.  Just stay on the paths already drove on and you will be fine.  Also there was a state trooper cruisin all over the lake also.
Hope this helps you out.

Baiter

[Hungry4Fish]

....To my knowledge, snowmobiles are still technically illegal on the lake, though you can go anywhere with a car.....

I just ran across this regarding snowmobiles on Hidden Lake:

http://kenai.fws.gov/regulations.htm#Snowmobiles

Snowmobiles
Operation of snowmobiles is authorized on the Kenai NWR subject to the following conditions and exceptions:
(i)   Snowmobiles are permitted between December 1 and April 30 only when the refuge manager determines that their is adequate snow cover to protect underlying vegetation and soils. During this time, the manager will authorize, through public notice, the use of snowmobiles less than 46 inches in width and less than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) in weight. Designated snowmobile areas are described on a map available from the refuge manager.....

..... (vi) Within the Skilak Loop Special Management Area, snowmobiles are prohibited except on Hidden, Kelly, Petersen, and Engineer Lakes for ice fishing access only. Upper and Lower Skilak Lake campground boat launches may be used as access points for snowmobile use on Skilak Lake.

I suppose that "the manager will authorize, through public notice" statement includes use on the lakes for ice fishing access. I'll see if I can get written confirmation from the Wildlife Refuge Manager.

[kwiky364]

hey im from new york and i was wonderin if there is still ice anywhere in alaska.  if there is i might be takin a trip there next weekend for some fishen

[Hungry4Fish]

I was at Crosswinds Lake near Glennallen last weekend. I needed to use my extension to get to water.

[groundsluice_pete]

At this point the thickness of the ice isn't the problem, it's the water and slush that often accumulate on top of the ice before the ice itself begis to rot. Standing in overflow to fish isn't much fun. Hidden probably still has plenty of ice, but one would need to be careful around the shoreline and rocks which have soaked up heat.