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Fishing Bear Lake: what the data says
31-acre lake near Delta County. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Brook Trout fishing at Bear Lake
Spring brook trout on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Bear Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 30 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| 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 | 9 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 30 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Bear Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 9 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 24 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 30 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Coho Salmon fishing at Bear Lake
Start shallow in spring: coho salmon sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 9 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 30 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 6 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Bear Lake
Spring cisco (lake herring) on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 8 to 30 ft. Summer fish stay in 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish hold in 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for spring cisco (lake herring). Plan around early morning in the warm months. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Yellow Perch fishing at Bear Lake
Spring yellow perch on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is 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 | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bear Lake also holds northern pike (8 to 20 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), burbot (9 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 24 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 13 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake is about 30 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Bear Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, coho salmon, brown trout, brook trout, burbot, rock bass, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Bear Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bear Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for coho salmon 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 brook 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.
Nearby waters
Lyman Lake · Thunder Lake · Gooseneck Lake · Camp Seven Lake · Murphy Lake · Minerva Lake
See how Bear Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best bluegill lakes in Michigan · best rainbow trout lakes in Michigan
Browse all Michigan fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.