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Bear Lake

Garden, Michigan — Delta County.

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29Surface acres

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 44366442).

Location & fast facts

Where Bear Lake is in Michigan

The red circle marks Bear Lake.

Fast facts

About Bear Lake

  • County: Delta
  • Town: Garden
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 310 mi from Detroit and 219 mi from Grand Rapids and 54 mi from Marquette, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Michigan

Official Michigan DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Fishing. Brook trout
  • Camping. 36 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official lake data (Michigan DNR)

30 ftMaximum depth

Fish species stocked here by the Michigan DNR since 2010: Brook trout.

Stocked: 2010–2024, 10 years; 1,372 fish in all, fry included

Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Fish Stocking Database (records for Bear Lake, Delta County, since 2010) and the DNR Institute for Fisheries Research inland lake deepest-point data. These are stocking records, not a full fish survey; other species also live here.

Lake map

Bear Lake shoreline

0.1 mileN

No public access sites are listed for this water in the Michigan DNR boating access sites data.

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 44366442), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Michigan DNR boating access sites. Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Campgrounds near Bear Lake

We found 36 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Bear Lake, 8 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Michigan

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (46.0732, -86.4986). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Bear Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Bear Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/Detroit), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Bear Lake

    How big is Bear Lake?

    Bear Lake covers about 29 acres in Garden, Michigan (Delta County).

    How deep is Bear Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 30 feet, according to the Michigan DNR stocking and lake depth records.

    What fish are in Bear Lake?

    Michigan DNR stocking and lake depth records lists Brook trout.

    Are there campgrounds near Bear Lake?

    Yes. We list 36 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 8 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Bear Lake?

    Bear Lake touches Garden in Delta County, Michigan.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Bear Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Michigan lakes & ponds · All waters in Garden