Bear Lake
Halifax, Nova Scotia18 haView mapDirections
No A–F letter for this lake. The letter is scored against EPA reference conditions for a lake’s ecoregion, and those stop at the US border. Here is what has been measured.
- 28 ft max depth
- Limited data
Bear Lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia has water-quality measurements published by NSECC and no A–F letter. The letter's EPA reference conditions stop at the US border. Water clarity: 3.5 m visibility. Maximum depth: 27.6 ft. Surface area: 45 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.5 m
- Max depth
- 8.4 m
- Area
- 18 ha
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Why Bear Lake has no A–F letter
The LakeQuality letter is scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment reference conditions for a lake’s ecoregion, and those stop at the US border. There is no reference condition for Nova Scotia, so the scale cannot be applied to Bear Lake at any level of sampling. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
This is not a gap in the monitoring record. NSECC publishes these measurements directly, and everything below that has been measured is reported on this page as NSECC reports it.
Monitoring: Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change. Read the full grading methodology.
Bear Lake is a 45-acre lake in Halifax County, Nova Scotia with a maximum depth of 28 feet (9-foot average).
Source: Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change — not the EPA Water Quality Portal, last sampled 1983-10-13. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Bear Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.4 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Bear Lake
These are the measurements NSECC publishes for Bear Lake. No A–F letter applies here: see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.4 ft. TSI 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.47 m | Measured, not scored |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 8.4 m |
| Average Depth | 2.8 m |
| Surface Area | 18 ha |
Fishing Bear Lake
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Frequently asked questions about Bear Lake
Where is Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake is a lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Its water-quality measurements are published by NSECC, and it carries no A–F letter, because no reference condition exists for lakes in this region, so the assessment thresholds behind the A–F scale cannot be applied here.
What is the water quality grade for Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia has water-quality measurements published by NSECC and no A–F letter. The letter's EPA reference conditions stop at the US border. Water clarity: 3.5 m visibility. Maximum depth: 27.6 ft. Surface area: 45 acres.
Is Bear Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake has a maximum depth of 27.6 feet and an average depth of 9.2 feet. The lake covers 45 acres.
Explore Bear Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 1953–1983. Retrieved from Nova Scotia open data (not the EPA Water Quality Portal) on 2026-08-16.
Collected and reported by
- DOE
DOE2 samples · 1953–1983 - Lands and Forests
Lands and Forests2 samples · 1963–1973 - Submitting organization not recorded for these samples1 sample · 1965
Some records reached the portal without a submitting organization. Those samples are counted above but not attributed.
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
14633
Canadian lakes are published with the measurements their provincial programme reports, and without a LakeQuality A–F letter. The letter is scored against EPA reference conditions for a lake’s ecoregion, and the EPA does not survey these lakes. See how grades are calculated and data sources.