Bear Lake
Bear Lake is a 1,348-acre lake in Barron and Washburn counties, Wisconsin, up to 87 feet deep, with 171 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. It has 4 public boat landings and public land or a park on the shore.
- Size: 1,348 acres
- Deepest point: 87 ft
- Average depth: 20 ft
- Bottom: 75% sand, 10% gravel, 10% muck, 5% rock
- Fish: Panfish, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye
- Public access: 4 public boat landings and public land or a park on the shore
- Boating: Full recreation: over 50 acres, so open to water-skiing and boating at speed under state law
- Local boating ordinances on record: a motorboat prohibition, a horsepower limit, slow-no-wake areas and a speed limit
- Drive time without traffic: Eau Claire 1 hr 5 min, Twin Cities 2 hr, Madison 3 hr 45 min, Green Bay 3 hr 50 min, Appleton 3 hr 50 min, Waukesha 4 hr 25 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 35 min, Rockford 4 hr 35 min, Chicago 5 hr 40 min
- Invasive species on record: Banded Mystery Snail, Chinese Mystery Snail, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Purple Loosestrife
- Waterfront parcels: 171 waterfront parcels
Questions about Bear Lake
How many waterfront properties are on Bear Lake?
171 waterfront parcels front Bear Lake: 150 in Barron County and 21 in Washburn County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.
How big is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake covers 1,348 acres in Barron and Washburn counties, Wisconsin.
How deep is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake is 87 feet deep at its deepest point, and 20 feet deep on average.
What fish are in Bear Lake?
The Wisconsin DNR lists panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye in Bear Lake.
Is there public access to Bear Lake?
Yes. Bear Lake has 4 public boat landings and public land or a park on the shore.
Can you water-ski or run a boat at speed on Bear Lake?
Bear Lake is over 50 acres, so Wisconsin's slow-no-wake rule for small lakes does not apply and boats may run at speed, staying slow within 100 feet of shore, docks and swimmers. Local ordinances on record include a motorboat prohibition, a horsepower limit, slow-no-wake areas and a speed limit; the ordinance itself says which part of the lake or the day each covers.
How long is the drive to Bear Lake?
By car, Bear Lake is about 1 hr 5 min from Eau Claire, 2 hr from the Twin Cities, 3 hr 45 min from Madison and 5 hr 40 min from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.
What is the bottom of Bear Lake like?
The lake bottom is 75% sand, 10% gravel, 10% muck, 5% rock, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.