Bear Lake
Bear Lake is a 295-acre lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin, up to 20 feet deep, with 125 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. It has a public boat landing and public land or a park on the shore.
- Size: 295 acres
- Deepest point: 20 ft
- Average depth: 8 ft
- Bottom: 50% sand, 25% muck, 15% rock, 10% gravel
- Fish: Panfish, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye
- Public access: a public boat landing 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: water-skiing rules, slow-no-wake areas, slow-no-wake hours and jet ski rules
- Drive time without traffic: Green Bay 2 hr 45 min, Appleton 2 hr 50 min, Eau Claire 2 hr 50 min, Madison 3 hr 25 min, Twin Cities 3 hr 50 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 5 min, Waukesha 4 hr 5 min, Rockford 4 hr 20 min, Chicago 5 hr 20 min
- Invasive species on record: Chinese Mystery Snail, Purple Loosestrife, Rusty Crayfish, Yellow Iris
- Waterfront parcels: 125 waterfront parcels
Questions about Bear Lake
How many waterfront properties are on Bear Lake?
125 waterfront parcels front Bear Lake in Oneida County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.
How big is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake covers 295 acres in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
How deep is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake is 20 feet deep at its deepest point, and 8 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 a public boat landing 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 water-skiing rules, slow-no-wake areas, slow-no-wake hours and jet ski rules; 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 2 hr 45 min from Green Bay, 2 hr 50 min from Appleton, 2 hr 50 min from Eau Claire, 3 hr 50 min from the Twin Cities and 5 hr 20 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 50% sand, 25% muck, 15% rock, 10% gravel, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.