Side Lake

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How deep is Side Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Side Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Side Lake?

Side Lake is a 375-acre lake located near Side Lake, MN. The lake is moderately deep with a maximum depth of 32 ft and a littoral area of 153 acres. Side Lake is in Lake Class 5 and has a public access on the southwest shore within McCarthy Beach State Park. Area lakes also in lake class five include Little Sturgeon, Perch, and Leander. Side Lake is connected to the Sturgeon River through a short channel on the south shore and is navigable by boat upstream to Little Sturgeon Lake. Water levels are controlled by a lowhead dam downstream where CR 5 crosses the Sturgeon River. The lake is heavily developed except for the State Park owned property and is one of the busiest lakes for recreation in the area. Anglers primarily target walleye, black crappie, and occasionally northern pike.

Walleye gill-net catch was 2.6/net and was toward the low end of the expected range for similar lakes. Gill net catch rates have historically been low and varied from 1.7 to 4.0/net. Side Lake is known to produce large walleye and size structure was excellent with fish up to 29 inches sampled. Growth was similar to the statewide average with fish averaging 19.5 inches by age 6. Walleye fingerlings, yearlings, or adults have been stocked in six out of the last eight years making stocking evaluation difficult. Walleye ages were assigned to most year classes including both stocked and nonstocked years.

Black crappie historic catch rates have been low, varying from 0.1 to 0.6/gill net and from 0 to 0.9/trap net. The 2009 catch rates were the highest reported with a catch rate of 1.7/gill net and was slightly higher than the average catch rate for similar lakes. The trap net catch rate was low at 0.4/net and was lower than the expected range. Size structure in gill nets was poor with only one fish exceeding 9 inches.

The northern pike gill net catch was high for this lake class at 9.8/gill net and was higher than the expected range. Catch rates in past assessments have varied from 5.2 to 16.5/gill net for assessments setting more than three nets. Size structure was moderate with fish up to 30 inches sampled, however, no fish greater than 34 inches were sampled.

Yellow perch gill net catch was low at 2.6/net, but was within the expected range for similar lakes. Historical catch rates have also been low and varied from 0.7 to 7.2/gill net. Size structure was generally poor with no fish exceeding 7 inches.

Bluegill trap net catch was higher than expected with a catch rate of 56.0/trap net and was higher than the expected range. Trap net catch rates have historically been much lower varying from 5.3 to 17.8/net. Size structure was poor with only one fish exceeding 8 inches. Growth was slower than the lake class average and fish only reached 6.2 inches by age 7.

Tullibee catch rate was 4.6/gill net and was within the expected range. Tullibee catch rates have historically been variable with catch rates varying from 1.5 to 22.7/gill net. Other fish sampled include, rock bass, shorthead and silver redhorse, white sucker, and pumpkinseed sunfish.

Lakeshore owners may affect fish populations not only through harvesting fish, but also through land use practices. It is important to leave a 30 to 50 ft buffer strip of native vegetation along the shoreline to prevent erosion and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Nonfunctioning septic systems can also lead to water quality problems. Good water quality and fish populations are the direct result of good land use practices. Anglers can also help to improve the size structure of the fish community by releasing larger fish.

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Are there any state parks near Side Lake?