Fishing Bear Lake in Clare County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Clare County, Michigan, this is Bear Lake. Everything around it is lake country bush. Around 81 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. With about 1.5 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Few waters listed in Clare County are bigger. Some 10 miles away sits Clare, the nearest settlement. Harrison follows at 12 miles, then Evart at 15 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Clare County, recorded fish include bluegill, largemouth bass and pink salmon. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Bear Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 68°F; by January the average is down near 19°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Anyone fishing Bear Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Clear Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Bear Lake in what we hold.