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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
114-acre lake near Stockton and Pomfret. The lake tops out around 20 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Bear Lake runs 119 acres with 2.3 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 24% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.9 mi with a 0.4-mi widest point. For a second option, Upper Cassadaga Lake lies 3 mi east.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 6 to 20 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 20 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 20 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 20 ft before dropping to 6 to 20 ft for winter. Fall muskellunge concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 20 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 20 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bear Lake also holds yellow perch (6 to 20 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brook trout (6 to 20 ft in summer), grass pickerel (1 to 9 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 5 structure features on Bear Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 20 ft.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2025* | Muskellunge | 550 | ~8.3" |
| September 2025* | Brook Trout | 300 | ~4" |
| September 2025* | Brook Trout | 1,400 | ~4.4" |
| September 2025* | Brook Trout | 800 | ~4.5" |
| September 2025* | Brook Trout | 2,800 | ~4.7" |
| October 2024* | Muskellunge | 550 | ~8.5" |
| September 2024* | Brook Trout | 400 | ~4" |
| September 2024* | Brook Trout | 300 | ~3.9" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: NYSDEC fish-stocking lists, retrieved 2026-09-23.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Bear Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Bear Lake is about 20 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, muskellunge, northern pike, crappie, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brook trout, grass pickerel on Bear Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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.
Yes — per NYSDEC fish-stocking lists records, Bear Lake was most recently stocked October 2025 with 550 muskellunge. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Bear Lake is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Upper Cassadaga Lake 3 mi · Lower Cassadaga Lake 3 mi · Chautauqua Lake 12 mi · Lake Erie - Eastern Basin 19 mi, PA/NY/ON · Findley Lake 24 mi · New Albion Lake 24 mi · Quaker Lake 34 mi · Allegheny Reservoir 36 mi, PA/NY · Red House Lake 37 mi · Lake Erie - Presque Isle Bay 40 mi, PA · Dils Lake 45 mi, ON · Lime Lake 46 mi
See how Bear Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best northern pike lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.