Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Bear
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Bear: what the data says
51-acre lake near Carlton County. The lake tops out around 28 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Yellow Perch fishing at Bear
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 28 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Crappie fishing at Bear
Spring crappie on Bear hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 24 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Bear
Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 24 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bear?
Bear is about 28 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Bear?
Anglers target crappie, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Bear.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bear?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bear?
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Hay · Blackhoof · Spring · Chub · Ellstrom · Venoah
See how Bear stacks up: best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best pumpkinseed lakes in Minnesota
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.