Bear Lake

Bear Lake is one of the lakes mapped in Douglas County with the latest inventory showing about 49 acres and a maximum depth of 10 feet, which helps keep the first trip simple instead of turning it into a giant guessing game.

The lake itself

I would start with a few obvious areas and make the lake prove I need more by spending the early part of the day on shoreline cover, weed edges, and the first clean drop away from the bank and if nothing happens, the next move should change the kind of water, not just the scenery.

Fish to think about

The water-specific species list for Bear Lake includes Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, Walleye, and Yellow Perch; and that gives me a simple starting point with weeds, wood, rock, or docks for bass and points, breaks, and wind-pushed edges for walleye, and find out which part of the species list is actually active that day.

Where I would put my time

For the opening trip to Bear Lake, I would start with a simple plan and only add complexity if the fish make me, and I would make sure the current DNR rules match the species I am actually fishing for.