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

• Overview

  Bear Lake is listed under Montmorency County, Michigan. The surroundings are pine and birch. The water measures roughly 12 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. The closest town, Lewiston, is 14 miles away. Further out sit Gaylord (24 miles) and Mio (29 miles). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Montmorency County list largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, rock bass and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Bear Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 17°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Bear Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Valentine Lake, 1.6 miles away. Nothing on Bear Lake should be assumed from this page alone.