Bear Island Lake

How big is Bear Island Lake?

How deep is Bear Island Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Bear Island Lake?

What are the closest cities to Bear Island Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Bear Island Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Bear Island Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Bear Island Lake

Are there boat launches on Bear Island Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Bear Island Lake?

Bear Island Lake is located 10 miles southwest of Ely. There are three public accesses, two of which have concrete ramps, the other is gravel. This 2,351 acre lake contains four inlets and one outlet, the Bear Island River. Bear Island Lake has a maximum depth of 62 feet and the water color is brown. On August 26, 2013 Bear Island was thermally stratified with a surface temperature of 75F and a bottom temperature of 46F. Oxygen levels were 8.6 ppm at the surface and dropped to below 2.0 ppm at a depth of 45 feet. Shoreline substrates consist of mostly rubble, boulder, and gravel. Aquatic vegetation is sparse along most of the shoreline. The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 29 fish/net which is high compared to historic surveys. Fish species sampled in gill nets were walleye, tullibee, northern pike, rock bass, white sucker, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, and bluegill. The overall trapnet catch rate for all fish combined was 34 fish/net which was also high compared to historic surveys. Fish species sampled were bluegill, rock bass, black crappie, walleye, northern pike, white sucker, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, hybrid sunfish, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass. One hundred ten walleye were sampled in gill nets for a catch rate of 9 fish/net which is quite good compared to other similar lakes throughout the state and is the 3rd highest catch rate on record for the lake. Fish captured in gill nets in the 2013 assessment ranged in size from 7 to 24.5 inches with an average of 13 inches. The largest fish captured came from a trap net and was 29 inches long. Average weight per fish caught in gill nets was 1.0 pound. Growth rates were slow when compared to other investigations of lakes in the Tower area. Ages of gillnetted fish ranged from 1 to 10. The 2009 and 2011 year classes were quite strong with over 76% of the aged fish coming from those year classes. The northern pike gillnet catch was 4 fish/net which is better than 75% of other similar lakes throughout the state and the second highest catch rate on record for Bear Island. Average weight for gillnetted fish was 2.6 lbs/fish which is average when compared to other similar lakes throughout the state. Lengths from gillnetted fish ranged from 15 to 35 inches with an average of 22 inches. Growth rates were somewhat slow when compared to other lakes in the area. Anglers are encouraged to release these large pike as they take many years to grow larger than 24 inches. Ages of gillnetted fish ranged from 1 to 9 years old with the 2009 year class being the strongest and containing over 45% of the aged fish. Of the forty-nine northern pike examined for diseases and parasites, 41 fish or 84% were infested with neascus (black spot). Fourteen smallmouth bass were sampled in gill nets for a catch rate of 1.2 fish/net which is high when compared to other similar lakes in the state. The average weight was 1.7 lbs/fish. Lengths ranged from 13 to 16 inches with an average of 14.5 inches. Growth was typical of other smallie populations in area lakes. Ages ranged from 4 to 8 years with the 2006 year class being the strongest. Twenty three black crappie were sampled in trap nets for a catch rate of 1.5 fish/net which is in the lower 25% of similar lakes throughout the state. The average weight was 0.3 lb/fish. Lengths ranged from 5 to 13 inches with an average of 8 inches. Growth was similar when compared to other area lakes. Ages ranged from 2 to 9 with 74% of the fish coming from the 2010 year class. The bluegill catch rate was 22 fish/net in 2013 which is well above 75% of other similar lakes throughout the state. The average weight was 0.4 lb/fish, also above 75% of bluegill lakes throughout the state. Lengths ranged from 4 to 9 inches with an average of an impressive 7.5 inches. Growth rates are slightly better than average compared to other lakes in the area. Ages ranged from 2 to 9 years with the 2005, 2006, and 2007 year classes accounting for 87% of all the sampled fish. Ninety four percent of the bluegill examined for diseases and parasites had neascus (black spot). A tullibee catch rate of 5 fish/gill net is right in the middle compared to other similar lakes throughout the state. Historic gillnet catches of tullibee started high between 1952 and 1978, then dropped to 1 or less fish/net until 2003 where catches then started to rise and have continued rising to the present rate. Average size was small at 0.1 lb/fish with a length range of 6 to 8 inches and an average of 6.5 inches.

What is the average air temp for Bear Island Lake?

Are there any state parks near Bear Island Lake?