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

• Overview

  You will find Bear Lake in Valley County, Idaho. Height above sea level is 7,936 feet. Small at around 15 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. McCall is the closest town at 41 miles. Challis lies 64 miles off, Salmon another 68 miles. If this one is busy: Catherine Lake out at 1.1 miles, Roosevelt Lake 7.5 miles away, Profile Lake out at 9.3 miles, Milk Lake 9.6 miles away and Rock Lake out at 13 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Valley County names rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Coho salmon and Arctic grayling. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Bear Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 17°F to 52°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually goes in late May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around late May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Bear Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Catherine Lake at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Bear Lake before loading the car.