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Fishing Bear Lake: what the data says
4,882-acre lake near British Columbia. The lake tops out around 246 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.
Burbot fishing at Bear Lake
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 25 to 70 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Offshore hump, a offshore hump in about 12.826102010562446 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in winter. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. Summer baits: a heavy jig + cut bait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Kokanee fishing at Bear Lake
Spring kokanee on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 21.5808904321212 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Lake Trout fishing at Bear Lake
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 50 to 120 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. Offshore hump is the standout, a offshore hump at roughly 12.826102010562446 ft, rated prime for fall lake trout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Bear Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 21.5808904321212 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Bear Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 40 to 90 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 70 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 21.5808904321212 ft, rated prime for spring lake whitefish. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 209 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 133.633956724631 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 62 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 62 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 23.803306791056276 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 21.5808904321212 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 12.826102010562446 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 1.866580537093163 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 1.656954553739498 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake is about 246 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 rainbow trout, lake trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, burbot on Bear Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bear Lake?
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: a offshore hump in about 12.826102010562446 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bear Lake?
For burbot, the summer bite is best in after dark and midday. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.