Fishing Bear Lake in Marquette County, Michigan

• Overview

  Bear Lake lies in Marquette County, Michigan. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. It covers about 6 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Marquette County standards. Nearest town is Gwinn, 10 miles off. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 123 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Marquette County: white sucker, yellow perch, rainbow smelt and smallmouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Bear Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 14°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Bear Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Chain Lakes is 0.9 miles distant. Confirm before you fish Bear Lake.