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Fishing Bear Lake: what the data says
115-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 27 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Lake Whitefish fishing at Bear Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 8 to 27 ft. Summer fish stay in 8 to 27 ft, and winter fish hold in 8 to 27 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 23 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 27 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 27 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Walleye fishing at Bear Lake
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 27 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 27 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 12 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 8 to 27 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Bear Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 27 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 27 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| 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 27 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Bear Lake
Spring northern pike on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 23 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake is about 27 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 Lake?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, lake whitefish on Bear Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bear Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bear Lake?
For lake whitefish, 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
Kane Lake · View Lake · Joffre Lake · Ramsey Lake · Shanacy Lake · Tower Lake
See how Bear Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
Browse all Ontario fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.