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Frequently Asked Questions About Bear Lake, MN
- How big is Bear Lake?
- How deep is Bear Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in Bear Lake?
- What are the closest cities to Bear Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the Bear Lake area?
- Are there places to eat and drink near Bear Lake?
- What is the average air temp for Bear Lake?
- Are there any state parks near Bear Lake?
How big is Bear Lake?
How deep is Bear Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in Bear Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include Golden Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish and White Sucker.
What are the closest cities to Bear Lake?
Are there places to stay in the Bear Lake area?
More Lodging Options
Are there places to eat and drink near Bear Lake?
History & Status of the Fishery
Bear Lake offers anglers a variety of species to fish for such as, bluegill, northern pike, black crappie and largemouth bass. Bluegill dominated the trap net catches in the 2004 survey with a catch rate of 20 fish per trap net, which is slightly above average for this type of lake. The mean length of bluegill was nearly 6 inches and individuals up to 8.5 inches were sampled. Fifteen percent of all bluegill caught in the trap nets were 7 inches or larger. Good year classes produced from 1998 through 2000 should provide some decent bluegill fishing for the next few years.Black crappie abundance has remained stable over the years and was above the 50% quartile for this lake class for both gillnet and trap net catches. Black crappie growth was slow in Bear Lake and therefore individual fish seldom reach large size. The largest crappie caught in 2004 was 12.1 inches long, however only 10% (6 of 56) were over 8 inches in length. Historically, northern pike net catches have been low in bear lake and remained low again in the 2004 survey at 1.8 fish per gillnet, which is below the first quartile for lake class 21. Although northern pike numbers remain low in Bear Lake, there is a good chance of catching a quality size fish. The average size was nearly 26 inches and the largest individual caught was 32.5 inches, a reasonable number for a lake this size.Largemouth bass are present in the Bear Lake fishery but were not well represented in the 2004 survey due to sampling gear limitations. One individual bass was sampled which was 15.9 inches long. An electrofishing survey conducted in the early 1990?s did reveal fair numbers of bass greater than 12 inches. Recruitment is likely variable dependent on available forage and environmental conditions. Historical reports have documented the presence of an occasional trophy bass.
What is the average air temp for Bear Lake?
Are there any state parks near Bear Lake?
For more Minnesota State Park information see our State Park Guide.
More Nearby Lakes To Explore
There's more lake's to explore around Bear Lake...| DISTANCE | ACRES | MAX DEPTH | |
| Cedar Lake | 2.3 mi | 249 | 18 ft |
| Snowshoe Lake | 12.3 mi | 42 | 13 ft |
| Lake Five | 12.7 mi | 44 | 32 ft |
| Sugar Lake | 13.1 mi | 416 | 45 ft |
| Mille Lacs Lake | 13.3 mi | 128,226 | 42 ft |
| Pine Lake | 14.3 mi | 378 | 28 ft |
| Clear Lake | 14.6 mi | 574 | 24 ft |
| Swamp Lake | 14.6 mi | 272 | 5 ft |
| Lake Eleven | 15.2 mi | 315 | 13 ft |
| Big Pine Lake | 15.5 mi | 399 | 25 ft |
