Bear Lake (Lake County)
Lake County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 38040800
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Bear Lake (Lake County) since 2017, most recently splake fingerlings in 2025 (775 fish).
- Bear Lake (Lake County) has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): splake (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is splake: 8,875 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 69 ft, mean depth 27 ft; surface area 18 acres, 5 littoral acres, 0.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 16.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: lake trout, splake, white sucker.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Lake County, nearest town Silver Bay; DNR lake number (DOW) 38040800.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Splake | fingerlings | 775 | 31.6 |
| 2023 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,000 | 60.1 |
| 2021 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,000 | 51.4 |
| 2019 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,100 | 56.5 |
| 2017 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,000 | 98.0 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| PO | Minnesota DNR | The Superior Hiking Trail; which traverses state and city land on the ridge along the south side of the lake. There is a small user developed trail to the northeast end of the lake. |
| PO | Minnesota DNR | A 0.2 mile portage trail from Bean Lake on the southwest portion to the lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Splake | Standard gill nets | 35.00 | 35 | 0.68 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 27.00 | 27 | 1.12 |
| Lake trout | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 8.95 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Bear Lake is a scenic 18-acre designated trout lake located entirely within Tettegouche State Park. The lake is managed for Splake with 2,000 fingerlings stocked in the fall of odd numbered years. There is also a small, naturalized population of Lake Trout that has persisted in the lake despite not being stocked since 1970. Anglers can access the lake either via a 0.2-mile portage trail from Bean Lake, or by way of a spur trail from the Superior Hiking Trail down to a campsite on the NE end of the lake. A survey was completed in fall 2024 to monitor the trout fishery and evaluate the current stocking plan. Good numbers of Splake were sampled in the survey with the catch being comparable to the 2019 survey. The average length of the Splake sampled was 11.5 inches with the longest fish measuring 21 inches. Fish from at least two stocking events (2021 and 2023) were present in the sample indicating good survival of stocked fish and that the lake continues to provide good trout habitat from year to year. One 30-inch Lake Trout estimated to weigh nine pounds was sampled in 2024. This fish verified that Lake Trout were still present in the lake at the time of the survey. Similar to previous surveys of the lake, White Suckers were sampled in high numbers but do not prevent Splake from surviving to provide a fishery. The good numbers of Splake and size structure of the population combined with the chance to catch a Lake Trout in a beautiful setting makes Bear Lake a good destination for anglers willing to put in the effort to get there.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.