Bear Lake
Fishing and stocking
Brown trout and rainbow trout water; 3 stockings on the 2026 record, all in April. A 313-acre lake, and one of 6 stocked waters on the Kalkaska County record.
Kalkaska County · Michigan · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Brown trout
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked Oct 14.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20 | Brown trout | adult | 9,999 | completed |
| Apr 20 | Brown trout | adult | 4,899 | completed |
| Apr 20 | Rainbow trout | adult | 5,200 | completed |
When to fish Bear Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:17 am-12:17 pm and 10:40 pm-12:40 am | 4:34-5:34 am and 4:48-5:48 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:04 am-1:04 pm | 5:47-6:47 am and 5:08-6:08 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Apr 20
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Lake | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
Access points from the Michigan DNR boating access inventory. Ramps, fees, and hours change; check before towing a boat a long way.
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (brown trout stocked 2 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
| Casting spoons | 1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth |
| Small crankbaits | trout-pattern cranks trolled or slow-retrieved off points |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Manistee Lake | 5.3 mi | Jun 25 |
| Twin Lake | 6.5 mi | Apr 21 |
| North Blue Lake | 6.6 mi | Apr 20 |
| Starvation Lake | 8.1 mi | Apr 20 |
| Lake Margrethe | 9.3 mi | Jun 29 |
Follow Kalkaska County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule