Bear Lake
Bear Lake is a 200-acre lake in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, up to 62 feet deep, with 105 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include panfish, largemouth bass and northern pike. It has a public boat landing.
- Size: 200 acres
- Deepest point: 62 ft
- Average depth: 24 ft
- Bottom: 85% muck, 15% sand
- Fish: Panfish, Largemouth bass, Northern pike
- Public access: a public boat landing
- Boating: Full recreation: over 50 acres, so open to water-skiing and boating at speed under state law
- Drive time without traffic: Appleton 45 min, Green Bay 1 hr 5 min, Milwaukee 2 hr, Waukesha 2 hr 5 min, Madison 2 hr 15 min, Eau Claire 2 hr 40 min, Rockford 3 hr 10 min, Chicago 3 hr 25 min, Twin Cities 3 hr 45 min
- Invasive species on record: Banded Mystery Snail, Chinese Mystery Snail, Eurasian Water-Milfoil, Purple Loosestrife, Rusty Crayfish, Starry Stonewort, Zebra Mussel
- Waterfront parcels: 105 waterfront parcels
Questions about Bear Lake
How many waterfront properties are on Bear Lake?
105 waterfront parcels front Bear Lake in Waupaca County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.
How big is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake covers 200 acres in Waupaca County, Wisconsin.
How deep is Bear Lake?
Bear Lake is 62 feet deep at its deepest point, and 24 feet deep on average.
What fish are in Bear Lake?
The Wisconsin DNR lists panfish, largemouth bass and northern pike in Bear Lake.
Is there public access to Bear Lake?
Yes. Bear Lake has a public boat landing.
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. No local boating ordinance that limits motorboats is on record.
How long is the drive to Bear Lake?
By car, Bear Lake is about 45 min from Appleton, 1 hr 5 min from Green Bay, 2 hr from Milwaukee, 3 hr 25 min from Chicago and 3 hr 45 min from the Twin Cities. 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 85% muck, 15% sand, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.