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223-acre lake in Haliburton County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 118 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Bear Lake draws 222 acres inside 5.3 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 2.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 33% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 1.3 mi end to end and 0.7 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Haliburton County. For a second option, Tower Lake lies 1 mi southeast.
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 35 to 118 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 80 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 100 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 35 to 118 ft | dawn | Deep basin (100 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
When the water first warms, lake whitefish slide up into 15 to 45 ft. Summer is a 40 to 90 ft game here, winter a 25 to 70 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 53 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Spring yellow perch on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (100 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (100 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for summer smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (53 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown bullhead in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 12 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (100 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 35 to 118 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 100 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in after dark and midday and you'll meet the bite. Throw a heavy jig + cut bait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (53 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 35 to 118 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (100 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (53 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (53 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 100 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ontario waters are set by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary) — and special regulations can apply to Bear Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Bear Lake is about 118 ft (36 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 lake trout, lake whitefish, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, brown bullhead, burbot on Bear Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 100 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For lake trout, 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.
Fishing on Bear Lake is regulated by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary). Check the official Ontario regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Tower Lake 1 mi · Bluepaint L. 1 mi · Ingrams Lake 1 mi · East Jeannie Lakes 1 mi · Kimball Lake 1 mi · Livingstone Lake 1 mi · Clayton Lake 2 mi · Jeannie Lake 2 mi · Poorhouse Lake 3 mi · Kawagama Lake 3 mi · Louie Lake 3 mi · Slipper Lake 4 mi
See how Bear Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Haliburton County fishing maps (295 charts). Browse all Ontario 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.