Bear Lake in Charlotte County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Bear Lake is listed under Charlotte County, New Brunswick. The bank is 199 metres above sea level. Small at around 7 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. St. George sits 19 km from the bank. Then Pennfield, 19 km, and Eastern Charlotte, 20 km. More in the same country: Lake Anthony at 2 km, Back Meadow Lake a shade over 2.6 km, Tamarack Lake at 2.6 km, Rocky Lake a shade over 3.2 km and Williamson Lake at 3.2 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Charlotte County cover Atlantic salmon, alewife, rainbow smelt, American eel and smallmouth bass. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Anyone new to Bear Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -9°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Bear Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Lake Anthony is 2 km distant. Ask locally about Bear Lake if anything is unclear.