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2016 Map of Side Lake

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Side Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

Side Lake and the interconnected waters of the Sturgeon chain anchor this landscape on the border of Itasca and St. Louis counties. The settlement of Side Lake serves as the focal point for a complex network of seasonal and residential roads, including McCarthy Beach Rd and Watson Bay Rd, which trace the irregular shorelines of W Sturgeon Lake and Little Sturgeon Lake. To the south, the boundary of the Superior National Forest encompasses Shanon Lake, marking a transition into protected timberlands.

Water dominates the geography, with Hayes Island and Barrett Island rising from the larger basins. The drainage pattern is defined by the Sturgeon River and smaller tributaries like Stony Brook and Bear River in the north. This 2016 survey illustrates a modern recreation-oriented landscape where traditional lake access via routes like Snake Trl and Link Lake Trl meets contemporary residential development around the central lake system.