Bear Lake
Bear Lake in Houghton County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 99.4 acres.
- Max depth
- 28 ft
- Area
- 99 acres
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Water clarity at Bear Lake
Murky water. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, Bear Lake averaged 1.26 m (4 ft) of visibility down into the water, so you cannot see far below the surface in midsummer. This lake sits close to the line between clarity classes, so treat the label as approximate and the depth reading as the real number.
Nobody has taken a water sample here that we can find. Michigan's environmental agency measures clarity on lakes like this one from satellite images instead, which is why this page reports how clear the water is but carries no A–F grade.
Clear is not the same as clean. A lake can be easy to see through and still carry high nutrient levels, and a naturally tea-stained lake can be perfectly healthy. The A–F grade on other lakes is built from phosphorus and algae measured in a laboratory, and clarity alone cannot stand in for it.
The same satellite images put summer algae here at roughly 16.13 micrograms per litre. Estimating algae from orbit is far less exact than measuring clarity, so that figure is worth knowing and is not part of any rating.
Bear Lake is a 99-acre lake in Houghton County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 28 feet (10-foot average).
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled recent years. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedElevated nutrients
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.
No clarity data. Trophic State Index: undefined.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) |
Where to stay near Bear Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bear Lake in Houghton 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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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 28 ft |
| Average Depth | 10 ft |
| Surface Area | 99 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 1.3 mi |
Fishing Bear Lake
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Frequently asked questions about Bear Lake
Where is Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake is a lake in Houghton County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no in-situ water sample; this lake is rated for water clarity from satellite observations instead.
What is the water quality grade for Bear Lake?
- Bear Lake in Houghton County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 99.4 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?
- Bear Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet and an average depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 99.4 acres.
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Where this data comes from
Measurements for Bear Lake come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.