Bear Lake
Barron County, Wisconsin1,348 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Bear Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 87 ft max depth
- Public access
Bear Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Maximum depth: 87 ft. Surface area: 1348 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Bear Lake. DNR survey details →
Bear Lake is a 1,348-acre mesotrophic lake in Barron County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 87 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 27 other monitored lakes in Barron County, Bear Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Bear Lake covers about 1,300 acres in Barron County. It has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Bear Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Bear Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Fishing5 species recorded
- Deep water87 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,348 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bear Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bear Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Bear Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Bear Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bear Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Bear Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in Feb (about 35°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (35°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 36 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Bear Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Bear Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (87,096 cells/mL) on May 16, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Bear Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bear Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1986. 5 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Bear Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2022Bear Lake fisheries survey, 2022Fisheries Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- 2014Bear Lake comprehensive fisheries survey, 2014Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2014 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
87 ft
Surface area
1,348 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
33 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
12.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,207 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Bear Lake (28 3/4 Ave.)Public
- Bear LakePublic
- Bear Lake (18th Street)Public
- Bear LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bear Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bear Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin — 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
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Bear Lake → · more Wisconsin lake trips
Follow Bear Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bear Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.47 µg/L/yr7 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Bear Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bear Lake (completed 1880), built primarily for recreation on the Bear Creek; gravity-type dam, 22 ft tall and 513 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,358 ac
- Normal storage
- 27,254 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 38,120 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 60 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Barron County
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00099 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Bear Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10004582 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Barron County
Frequently asked questions about Bear Lake
Where is Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake is a lake in Barron County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Maximum depth: 87 ft. Surface area: 1348 acres.
Is Bear Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Bear Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October, from 36 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake has a maximum depth of 87 feet. The lake covers 1348 acres.
What fish are in Bear Lake?
- Fish species found in Bear Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Bear Lake is located in Barron County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bear Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Bear Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bear Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Bear Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Bear Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (87,096 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bear Lake (28 3/4 Ave.), Bear Lake, Bear Lake (18th Street), Bear Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Bear Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Barron County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Compare Bear Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
122 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX122 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory