Bear Lake Fishing Guide, Kalkaska County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Kalkaska County, Michigan, sits Bear Lake. Elevation runs to 1,175 feet. At 316 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. There is roughly 2.8 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Few waters listed in Kalkaska County are bigger. The closest town, Kalkaska, is 11 miles distant. Grayling lies 12 miles off, Mancelona another 13 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Kalkaska County: yellow perch, white sucker, rock bass, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Bear Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 18°F at the bottom of winter. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Time your trip to Bear Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The slipway at Bear Lake Public Boat Launch is half a mile away. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Mallard Lake, 0.6 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Bear Lake.