Bear Trap Lake

Bear Trap Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. The lake bottoms out at 38 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Bear Trap Lake covers 121 acres alongside 2.9 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Bear Trap Lake sits at rank 122 of 187 in St. Louis County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Bear Trap Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Bear Trap Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.