Bear Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (FL)

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Lake depth chart

Bear Lake, FL

Max 22 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Bear Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Bear Lake on the board.

Fishing Bear Lake: what the data says

185-acre lake. Hydroacoustic-surveyed Florida lake (FWC). Standard Florida warmwater roster; species not individually verified. The lake tops out around 22 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

Traced from the shoreline, Bear Lake runs 193 acres with 2.3 miles of edge. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.2) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Roughly 90% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 0.7 mi end to end and 0.7 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Santa Rosa County. For a second option, Hurricane Lake lies 7 mi northeast.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Bear Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 7 to 22 ft. Top water on the chart: Grass flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Grass flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Contour break (10 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Grass flat (6 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	7 to 22 ft	midday	Contour break (10 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Bear Lake

In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 22 ft. Grass flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Grass flat (6 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Grass flat (6 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Grass flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	7 to 22 ft	midday	Deepest hole (22 ft)	Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Bear Lake

Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 22 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 22 ft. The spot to know is Deepest hole, a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Grass flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	7 to 22 ft	dawn & dusk	Contour break (10 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Contour break (10 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	7 to 22 ft	midday	Deepest hole (22 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Bear Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 7 to 22 ft, wintering in 7 to 22 ft. Top water on the chart: Deepest hole, a deep basin in the 22 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Grass flat (6 ft)
Summer	7 to 22 ft	night & dusk	Deepest hole (22 ft)
Fall	7 to 22 ft	dusk	Deepest hole (22 ft)
Winter	7 to 22 ft	midday	Deepest hole (22 ft)

Notable structure

Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deepest hole, sits near 22 ft.

Deepest hole: deep basin, around 22 ft
Contour break: drop-off, around 10 ft
Grass flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Bear Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — and special regulations can apply to Bear Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Florida fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Bear Lake?

Bear Lake is about 22 ft (7 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.

What fish are in Bear Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish on Bear Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Bear Lake?

Grass flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Bear Lake?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Bear Lake?

Fishing on Bear Lake is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Check the official Florida regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Hurricane Lake 7 mi · Karick Lake 11 mi · Escambia County Public Fishing Lake 12 mi, AL · North Escambia Bay 29 mi · East Bay 30 mi · Escambia Bay 30 mi · Lake Jackson 31 mi, FL/AL · South Escambia Bay 33 mi · Santa Rosa Sound 34 mi · Lower Choctawhatchee Bay 35 mi · North Pensacola Bay 36 mi · Old Pass Lagoon 38 mi

See how Bear Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Florida · best crappie lakes in Florida · best bluegill lakes in Florida · best channel catfish lakes in Florida

Browse all Florida fishing maps or 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.