Bear Lake
Bear Lake in Manistee County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Surface area: 1873.3 acres.
- Clarity
- 11 ft
- Area
- 1,873 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Bear Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 6 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Bear Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Bear Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Bear Lake is a 1,873-acre lake in Manistee County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including Blacknose shiner, Blackstripe topminnow, and Bluntnose minnow.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Bear Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft. Trophic State Index: 43.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 11 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Bear Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bear Lake in Manistee County, Michigan — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Bear Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 1,873 acres |
The available depth estimate for Bear Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bear Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 8 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.522 m/yr | 8 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.23 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.26 µg/L/yr | 7 |
Graded lakes near Bear Lake
Bear Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Manistee County
Frequently asked questions about Bear Lake
Where is Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake is a lake in Manistee County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — there is not enough recent sampling to assign a letter.
What is the water quality grade for Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake in Manistee County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Surface area: 1873.3 acres.
Is Bear Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Bear Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Bear Lake?
- The available depth estimate for Bear Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 1873.3 acres.
What fish are in Bear Lake?
- Fish species found in Bear Lake include Blacknose shiner, Blackstripe topminnow, Bluntnose minnow, Golden shiner, Grass pickerel, Iowa darter, Lake herring, Largemouth bass, Least darter, Mimic shiner, Rock bass, Smallmouth bass, White sucker, Yellow perch. Bear Lake is located in Manistee County, Michigan.
Explore Bear Lake across LakeQuality
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Bear Lake is about 35 miles from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes →More Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
115 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS115 samples · 2016–2022
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.