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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
14-acre lake in Marathon County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 10 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 14 acres wrapped in 2 miles of bank. An index of 3.9 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. End to end it runs roughly 0.8 mi, about 0.2 mi across. Marathon County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Little Frog Lake, is 3 mi to the southeast.
Spring rainbow trout on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 2 to 10 ft once it turns cold. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 9 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Bear Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Bear Lake is about 10 ft (3 m) deep 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.
Anglers target rainbow trout on Bear Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Bear Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Little Frog Lake 3 mi · Mission Lake 3 mi · Pike Lake 3 mi · Moen Lake 4 mi · Rice Lake 4 mi · Big Bass Lake 5 mi · Little Bass Lake 5 mi · Lost Lake 5 mi · Bass Lake 7 mi · Wadley Lake 7 mi · Glisezinski Lake 8 mi · Lilly Lake 8 mi
See how Bear Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Marathon County fishing maps (27 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.