Siderock Lake in Alexander: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Alexander, Manitoba, this is Siderock Lake. Pine and birch runs right down to the water. This is sizeable water at about 3.78 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. There is roughly 19 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Size puts it in the front rank of our Alexander list. Red Lake lies 100 km from the water. After that come Lac du Bonnet at 100 km and Golden at 106 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Siderock Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Alexander cover smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye and yellow perch. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Treat Siderock Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -19°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Siderock Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Shelley Lake, 4.8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Siderock Lake locally before you travel.