Bear Lake

Manistee County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

6ft Max
depth

1,917 acres 4 contours Public access

Paddling Index34Modest

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Depth scale

03456

The lake

Survey readout

Bear Lake is mapped to a depth of 6 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 1,917 acres in Manistee County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey (depths read from the survey's isobath field; this lake's summary-depth column is blank in the source).

Deepest mapped contour: 6 ft
Mean depth: 3.8 ft · estimated
Surface area: 1,917 acres
Estimated volume: 7,259 acre-ft · 2,365M gal
Shoreline: 7.79 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details4 contours

Contour depths: 0–6 ft
Recorded point soundings: 6 ft

100% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Manistee County, Michigan · all 12 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MI DNR inland lake contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches.

⚠ Not for navigation

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Map details & sources5 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 44.43411, -86.15256
MI DNR lake ID: L18128
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21

34 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Bear Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, notable open-water exposure, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Mixed	6.7 of 30	44% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (15% forest, 23% wetland; 42% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Mixed	4.6 of 25	mean fetch 2,897 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long fetch in some directions
Watercraft controls	None identified	7.5 of 15	No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public access	Good	12.8 of 15	2 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 3 ramp lanes · 23 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Modest	2.8 of 15	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 82 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 4,830 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Low — approximately 0% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: Moderate — 15% forest and 23% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public environmental, access, roadway and watercraft-control data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights: natural setting 30%, geometric wind exposure 25%, watercraft controls 15%, public access 15%, road isolation 15%; observed motorboat activity is weighted 0% because no defensible lake-level measurement exists. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Sources: MI DNR Boating Access Sites (2026-08), MI DNR Watercraft Control Areas (2026-08), USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2025) and MI DNR bathymetric survey outline (0 ft isobath). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking

15 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).

Northern Pike

Bowfin

Walleye

Largemouth Bass

White Sucker

Smallmouth Bass

Brown Bullhead

Black Crappie

Crappie

Yellow Bullhead

Yellow Perch

Bluegill

Rock Bass

Pumpkinseed

Green Sunfish

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 15 species found here — 15 open to harvest.

These are hook-and-line size, daily limit and season rules. Gear, spearing and bow fishing, spawning closures and rod limits are set by other Fisheries Orders and are not shown here.

Black CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Beta. This panel is newly published. Every value is parsed from the Michigan DNR fisheries orders and hand-checked against the printed digest, but the coverage and wording are still under review. If anything here disagrees with the Michigan DNR's Fisheries Orders or its printed digest, the DNR is right — the signed Fisheries Order is the legal text; the digest summarises it.

BowfinOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

Brown BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Green SunfishOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Largemouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).

Northern PikeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 24" · Daily limit: 2 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

PumpkinseedOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Rock BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Smallmouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).

WalleyeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 15" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

White SuckerOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

Yellow BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

Yellow PerchOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

From FO-206.26 (eff. 2026-04-01) / FO-215.23A (eff. 2023-09-15) / FO-254.25 (eff. 2025-10-10), checked against the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations digest · verified 2026-08-24. Regulations can change — Michigan DNR rules are the controlling source; verify current regulations before fishing. Official regulations

Compiled from registered Master Angler catches, Michigan DNR fishery surveys and Michigan DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Notable catches

Master Angler program · 1999–2025

Trophy-size fish anglers caught here and registered with the DNR — what people have actually caught, distinct from what a survey netted or the state stocked below.

52Catches recorded

7Species

Bluegill19 recorded · to 11.1″

Pumpkinseed13 recorded · to 11″

Rock Bass11 recorded · to 13.5″

Bowfin4 recorded · to 29″

Catch details by species7 species

Bluegill19 recorded · to 11.1″ · latest 2025

Pumpkinseed13 recorded · to 11″ · latest 2025

Rock Bass11 recorded · to 13.5″ · latest 2022

Bowfin4 recorded · to 29″ · latest 2025

Crappie3 recorded · to 15″ · latest 2025

Northern Pike1 recorded · to 37″ · latest 2024

Smallmouth Bass1 recorded · to 21″ · latest 1999

Biggest on record

Northern Pike37″ · 2024 · ice fishing · live bait

Bowfin29″ · 2017 · spincasting · bluegill

Bowfin28″ · 2024 · still fishing · live bait

Bowfin27.1″ · 2024 · trolling · artificial lure

Bowfin27″ · 2025 · still fishing · live bait

Bait: artificial lure (13) · live bait (7) · worm (4)
Method: trolling (17) · spincasting (14) · drift fishing (9) · still fishing (8)

Master Angler entries are fish that met the program’s minimum size and were registered by the angler — they show what this lake has produced, not what a day here will produce. A catch on record is history, not a species listing: “Fish you might catch” lists only species with current evidence. Source: Michigan DNR Master Angler data.

Fishery

DNR SFR 2000-6

1,838Fish sampled

14Species

Gamefish Smallmouth Bass 36 · Walleye 28 · Largemouth Bass 17 · Bowfin 14

Panfish Bluegill 899 · Yellow Perch 495 · Rock Bass 182

All survey species14 species

Gamefish

Smallmouth Bass36 caught · to 15″

Walleye28 caught · to 22″

Largemouth Bass17 caught · to 18″

Bowfin14 caught · to 26″

Northern Pike9 caught · to 29″

Panfish

Bluegill899 caught · to 9″

Yellow Perch495 caught · to 8″

Rock Bass182 caught · to 10″

Pumpkinseed15 caught · to 8″

Black Crappie12 caught · to 9″

Green Sunfish2 caught · to 4″

Bullhead & catfish

Brown Bullhead25 caught · to 13″

Yellow Bullhead16 caught · to 12″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker88 caught · to 21″

Stocking: The 1932 report recommended stocking 20,000 walleye fingerlings or 200,000 fry annually, as well as habitat improvements including spawning boxes, brush shelters, slab devices, and macrophyte plantings in shoal areas.

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Michigan DNR Status of the Fishery Resource report (counts summed across survey years).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1984–2026

Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye1,061,108 stocked · 1984–2026 · 26 plantings

Source: Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database.

Non-native species records

2 records

Mussels & snails

Mud Bithynia
Zebra Mussel

What does non-native mean?

USGS records identify non-native species that have been documented for this lake or its shoreline. Non-native does not necessarily mean invasive, and historical records do not confirm current presence.

Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; underlying nonindigenous species records from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.

At the lake

community-mapped amenities · straight-line distance

⛻ Campgroundon the lake · 2 mapped

🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake

🏖 Beach / swim areaon the lake · 2 mapped

🎢 Playgroundon the lake · 2 mapped

From OpenStreetMap community mapping — shown only where something is mapped; an amenity missing here may still exist. Distances are straight-line. Verify before you rely on it. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

Osborn's Sport Shop≈4.2 mi8929 Chippewa Hwy, Bear Lake · Google · Apple

Backcast Fly Shop/Benzie Pets≈12.3 mi1675 Benzie Hwy, Benzonia · Google · Apple

Stapleton's Corner Market≈13.2 mi790 Michigan Ave, Benzonia · Google · Apple

Dealers licensed by the Michigan DNR to sell live bait; listing is not an endorsement. Distances are straight-line, not driving — and call ahead: hours and stock change. Source: Michigan DNR retail bait dealer data.

Quick answers

Bear Lake — common questions

How deep is Bear Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Bear Lake is 6 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Bear Lake?

Bear Lake covers about 1,917 acres in Manistee County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Bear Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Bear Lake is 3.8 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Bear Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, black crappie, bluegill. The page lists all 15 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Bear Lake?

Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 2 public access sites on Bear Lake, including Hopkins Park.