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Fishing Side Lake: what the data says
11-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 16 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Lake Whitefish fishing at Side Lake
Spring lake whitefish on Side Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 16 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 16 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 16 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 16 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Side Lake
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 4 to 16 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 16 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 16 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 3 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Yellow Perch fishing at Side Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 16 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 16 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Side Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 16 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Shoreline break: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Side Lake?
Side Lake is about 16 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Side Lake?
Anglers target northern pike, yellow perch, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring) on Side Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Side Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Side Lake?
For lake whitefish, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Petit Lake · Car Lake · Kennedy Lake · Anrev Lake · Howard Lake · Verna Lake
See how Side Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
Browse all Ontario fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.