Bear Lake

Bear Lake sits at the top of the Wisconsin DNR grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Wisconsin. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI value of 34 puts Bear Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. Bear Lake reaches 20 ft at its deepest point — typical for Wisconsin mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. At 75 acres, Bear Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Bear Lake ranks 10 of 66 in Oconto County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

An invasive species record — Banded Mystery Snail — has been logged at Bear Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 4, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.