Sideburn Lake in Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Sideburn Lake belongs to Sudbury, Ontario. Land around it is lake country bush. The water covers some 40 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. There is roughly 5.3 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Dowling sits 38 km from the bank. It is 64 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Sideburn Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Sudbury cover smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Sideburn Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -15°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Sideburn Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Bailey Lake is 1.4 km off. Signs at Sideburn Lake carry more weight than any list.