Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Bear Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Bear Lake: what the data says
71,000-acre lake near Garden City. The lake tops out around 197 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Lake Trout fishing at Bear Lake
Spring lake trout on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Offshore hump: a offshore hump around 23 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| 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 |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Bear Lake
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 25 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Bear Lake
Spring lake whitefish on Bear Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 40 to 90 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 70 ft. The spot to know is Offshore hump, a offshore hump in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| 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 |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Bear Lake
Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. They move out to 40 to 80 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. Offshore hump is the standout, a offshore hump at roughly 23 ft, rated prime for winter cisco (lake herring). Best bite is early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Bear Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. Secondary point is the standout, a point at roughly 18 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. 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 | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 197 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 197 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 115 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 54 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 39 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 33 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 26 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 25 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 23 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 22 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 19 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 18 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 18 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 17 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake is about 197 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 rainbow trout, lake trout, lake whitefish, cutthroat trout, cisco (lake herring) on Bear Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bear Lake?
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: a offshore hump in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout 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 lake trout, 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
Birch Creek Reservoir · Porcupine Reservoir · Hyrum Reservoir · Newton Reservoir · Causey Reservoir · Mantua Reservoir
See how Bear Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Utah · best lake trout lakes in Utah · best cutthroat trout lakes in Utah
Browse all Utah fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.