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Bearskin Lake

East Cook, Minnesota — Cook County.

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492Surface acres
2Public access sites
0.8 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 114539869).

Location & fast facts

Where Bearskin Lake is in Minnesota

The red circle marks Bearskin Lake.

Fast facts

About Bearskin Lake

  • County: Cook
  • Town: East Cook
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 252 mi from Minneapolis and 118 mi from Duluth, straight-line (not driving distance)

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

Fishing in Minnesota

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

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 1 public trailer launch listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Walleye, Northern pike, Smallmouth bass and Lake trout
  • Walking. 0.8 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 40 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Rusty Crayfish recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • 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 survey (Minnesota DNR)

78 ftMaximum depth
31 ftAverage depth
509Acres (state figure)

Fish species found in Minnesota DNR lake surveys: Bluegill, Green sunfish, Hybrid sunfish, Lake trout, Northern pike, Rainbow smelt, Smallmouth bass, Walleye, Yellow perch.

Shallow (littoral) area: 94 of 509 acres

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources LakeFinder record for Bearskin Lake (DOW 16022800), with lake survey reports, depth maps and stocking history. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Bearskin Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Hungry Jack Campground (campground)Golden Eagle Resort (campground)Flour Lake Campground (campground)West Bearskin Lake Public Water Access Site (Boat launch)1West Bearskin Lake Public Water Access Site (Cartop / walk-in)21 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchCartop / walk-inShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1West Bearskin Lake Public Water Access Site
    Boat launch · East Cook
  2. 2West Bearskin Lake Public Water Access Site
    Cartop / walk-in · East Cook

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 114539869), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

0.8 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 20%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North, east and west shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.8 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Bearskin Lake shoreline, mostly along the north, east and west shores.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is West Bearskin Lake Public Water Access Site, right on a shoreline trail (Minnesota DNR water access data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Bearskin Lake

We found 40 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Bearskin Lake, 14 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 Minnesota

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 (48.0670, -90.4329). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Bearskin 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 Bearskin 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 CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    2 public access sites listed, 1 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    West Bearskin Lake Public Water Access SiteEast CookDNR Division of Parks and TrailsTrailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock4 trailer, 8 car—Fishing, Boating48.0646, -90.3983
    West Bearskin Lake Public Water Access SiteEast CookU.S. Forest ServiceCarry-in (hand launch)5 car—Fishing, Boating48.0626, -90.4442

    Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Bearskin Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Bearskin Lake

    How big is Bearskin Lake?

    Bearskin Lake covers about 492 acres in East Cook, Minnesota (Cook County).

    How deep is Bearskin Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 78 feet and the mean depth is 31 feet, according to the Minnesota DNR LakeFinder.

    What fish are in Bearskin Lake?

    Minnesota DNR LakeFinder lists Walleye, Northern pike, Smallmouth bass, Lake trout, Bluegill, Yellow perch, Green sunfish, Hybrid sunfish and Rainbow smelt.

    Is there a public boat launch on Bearskin Lake?

    Yes. 1 public trailer launch is listed: West Bearskin Lake Public Water Access Site. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Bearskin Lake?

    Yes. We list 40 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 14 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Bearskin Lake?

    Bearskin Lake touches East Cook in Cook County, Minnesota.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Bearskin 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 Minnesota lakes & ponds · All waters in East Cook