Bear Lake

Bear Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Waupaca County. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The lake's low TSI puts it in oligotrophic territory — the cleanest of the four trophic classes, but also the most vulnerable to nutrient-driven shifts. The lake's 62 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. At 200 acres, Bear Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Among the 27 graded lakes in Waupaca County, Bear Lake ranks 6 — in the top quartile locally.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Bear Lake, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 3, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. A documented public access point at Bear Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.