Sidious L. Depth Map & Fishing Spots (ON)

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Lake depth chart

Sidious L., ON

Max 110 ft

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Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · same push on the Ontario side — Simcoe's shiners migrate shallow as the water cools, and the predators ride with them

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Next on this water

Rainbow smelt run · baitfishApr 1 – May 25 · in ~6 months

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyMay 25 – Aug 10 · in ~7 months

June mayfly hatch (walleye lakes) · mayflyJun 1 – Aug 10 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Sidious L.

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Fishing Sidious L.: what the data says

527-acre lake in Kenora District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 110 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

Drawn out, this is 527 acres of water rimmed by 5.5 miles of bank. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.7) — enough points and pockets to pattern. 9% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 2.1 mi end to end and 0.9 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Kenora District. The nearest mapped water is Pineneedle Lake, 5 mi to the south.

Lake Trout fishing at Sidious L.

Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 33 to 110 ft, wintering in 20 to 80 ft. Summer lake trout concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 94 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.

Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (28 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	33 to 110 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft	dawn	Deep basin (94 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (28 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Break off the point (50 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Lake Whitefish fishing at Sidious L.

Early season lake whitefish use the shallows, holding in 15 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 90 ft, then a winter hold in 25 to 70 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 94 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (50 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	40 to 90 ft	dawn	Deep basin (94 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	Main-lake point (28 ft)	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	25 to 70 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (50 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Sidious L.

Early season cisco (lake herring) use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 80 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 60 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 50 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white)
Summer	40 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (94 ft)	Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver)
Winter	20 to 60 ft	dawn	Break off the point (50 ft)	Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head

Walleye fishing at Sidious L.

Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 28 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (28 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Main-lake point (28 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (28 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Yellow Perch fishing at Sidious L.

Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at Sidious L.

Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Sidious L. also holds burbot (33 to 110 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 94 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 94 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 50 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 28 ft
Secondary point: point, around 28 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft

Sidious L. fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ontario waters are set by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary) — and special regulations can apply to Sidious L. specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Sidious L.?

Sidious L. is about 110 ft (34 m) deep 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 Sidious L.?

Anglers target lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, burbot on Sidious L..

Where is the best fishing spot on Sidious L.?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 94 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Sidious L.?

For lake trout, 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Sidious L.?

Fishing on Sidious L. is regulated by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary). Check the official Ontario regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Pineneedle Lake 5 mi · Call Lake 7 mi · Longlegged Lake 8 mi · Sydney Lake 8 mi · Underbrush Lake 9 mi · Detour Lake 10 mi · Hat Lake 11 mi · Dedee Lake 12 mi · Onnie Lake 14 mi · Upper Medicine Stone Lake 14 mi · Lee Lake 14 mi · Telescope Lake 14 mi

See how Sidious L. stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario

More water nearby: Kenora District fishing maps (1173 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.