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Bear Lake

Bear Lake Map

Description:

For the latest Bear Lake fishing report, click here.

Current Conditions:

Last checked for updates: 11/24/2020

Current Conditions

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Day-Use:
MARINA – OPEN. Open year round.
RENDEZVOUS BEACH – CLOSED. It is planned to reopen on May 1, 2021.
FIRST POINT – OPEN. Open year round.
CISCO BEACH – OPEN. Open year round.
RAINBOW COVE – OPEN. Open year round. The Bluffs campsites are closed for the season and plan to reopen in May 2021.
SOUTH EDEN – CLOSED. It is planned to reopen on May 1, 2021.
NORTH EDEN – CLOSED. This facility is closed due to a construction project. It is planned to reopen prior to Memorial Day, May 2021.
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Lake Surface:
No ice.
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Ice Thickness:
See above note.
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Ice is Never 100% Safe! — Do not judge ice safety on thickness alone. Ice does not form or maintain a uniform thickness. Snow, wind, slush, temperature, and other factors can cause ice thickness and strength to vary greatly, even within inches. Recreate on ice at your own risk and verify ice thickness as you head out. Click here to learn more ice safety tips.
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Park Roads:
Open.
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Launch Ramps:
MARINA – OPEN.
FIRST POINT – OPEN.
CISCO BEACH – OPEN.
RAINBOW COVE – OPEN.
RENDEZVOUS BEACH – CLOSED. It is planned to reopen on May 1, 2021.
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Fishing Conditions:
Good- utahfishinginfo.com/dwr/fishingreports.php
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Campgrounds:
RENDEZVOUS BEACH – CLOSED. It is planned to reopen on May 1, 2021.
CISCO BEACH – OPEN. Primitive campsites, first come, first serve. Open year round.
RAINBOW COVE – OPEN. Primitive campsites, first come, first serve. The Bluffs campsites (sites 5 – 13) are closed for the season and plan to reopen in May 2021.
SOUTH EDEN – CLOSED. It is planned to reopen on May 1, 2021.
NORTH EDEN – CLOSED. This facility is closed due to a construction project. It is planned to reopen prior to Memorial Day, May 2021.
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Water Temperature:
@ 42.8 degrees as measured in the Bear Lake State Park Marina.
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Water Level (elevation):
@ 5916.05′.
Full elevation: 5923.65′.
2020/21 Low elevation: 5916.05′
2020 High elevation: 5919.45′
2019/20 low elevation: 5917.85′
2019 high elevation: 5920.30′
2018/19 low elevation: 5916.35′
2018 high elevation: 5920.45′
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Air Temperature:
This past week:
The day time high temperatures have ranged from the mid 50’s to the mid 30’s.
The nighttime low temperatures have ranged from the mid 30’s to the high teens.
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Last Updated: November 23, 2020.
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Bear Lake is one of two main bodies of water left over from the ancient Lake Bonneville. The other one is Utah Lake.

Bear Lake was formed 28,000 years ago by earthquake activity. It is 20 miles long and eight miles wide. Originally, it was called Black Bear Lake, by Donald Mackenzie, explorer for the North West Fur Company, who discovered it in 1819 while scouting for fur-bearing animals. The name was later shortened to just Bear Lake.

The cool, Caribbean-blue waters of Bear Lake are ideal for waterskiing, swimming, scuba diving, and sailing. Anglers enjoy year-round fishing for cutthroat, mackinaw, cisco, and whitefish. Bear Lake State Park offers three recreation areas: Rendezvous Beach, Bear Lake Marina, and East Beach.

Bear Lake State Park Rendezvous Beach is named for the famous rendezvous of trappers and Native Americans held in the summers of 1827 and 1828. A thousand or more Indians and mountain men, including Jedediah Smith, attended the gatherings.

East Side/Cisco Beach/South Eden/North Eden/First Point: These primitive areas are located on the east shore approximately ten miles north of Laketown. The terrain is rocky and the water depth drops off quickly to 208 feet.

Cisco Beach is famous for its midwinter fishing with dip nets for the small, seven-inch Bonneville Cisco, a member of the whitefish family. For a week to 10 days every January, swarms of Cisco come close to the rocky shore to spawn. They are easily scooped up by hardy fishermen wading waist-deep in the icy water or through holes in the ice if the lake is frozen.

Bear Lake is home to several native species of fish that are not found anywhere else in the world, including the Bonneville Cisco and the Bear Lake Whitefish, and the Bear Lake Cutthroat Trout. The lake is often referred to as Utah's Caribbean, because of its turquoise blue color. Why is the water so blue? Its beautiful and unique green-blue color comes from particles of calcium carbonate (limestone) that are suspended in the water. Bear Lake is currently listed as one of Utah's flat water 'Blue Ribbon' fisheries.

Bear Lake is located on the Utah/Idaho border north of Cache Valley in Rich County. Its fishery is managed by both states. Click here for a list of rules for the State Park.

Fish Species:

Current Regulations: