Must-see lake · Kalkaska, Michigan
Bear Lake
Bear Lake is a lake in Kalkaska, Michigan.
Bear Lake: crowds and conditions
Typical pattern: heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.
Status options for this lake: Full / gates open · Low water level · Entry closed.
Best time to visit Bear Lake
Season: August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open.
Busiest days: Weekends, public holidays, Sankranti and Dasara breaks.
Crowd: Heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning.
Typical week: Mon busy · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri busy · Sat packed · Sun packed.
How to reach Bear Lake — distance from nearby cities
Coordinates: 44.72869, -84.94383. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.
Places to visit near Bear Lake
- Lake Five · lake · Kalkaska · ~13 km · Must-see
- Starvation Lake · lake · Kalkaska · ~16 km · Must-see
- Lake Margrethe · lake · Crawford · ~19 km · Must-see
- Hartwick Pines State Park · sanctuary · Crawford · ~27 km · Must-see
- Heart Lake · lake · Otsego · ~34 km · Must-see
- North Higgins Lake State Park · lake · Crawford · ~35 km · Must-see
- Otsego Lake State Park · lake · Otsego · ~38 km · Must-see
- Otsego Lake · lake · Otsego · ~39 km · Must-see
- Lake Skegemog · lake · Kalkaska · ~39 km · Must-see
- Long Lake · lake · Kalkaska · ~41 km · Must-see
- Skegemog Point Site · fort · Grand Traverse · ~42 km · Must-see
- Higgins Lake · lake · Roscommon · ~42 km · Must-see
- Torch Lake · lake · Antrim · ~42 km · Must-see
- Thayer Lake · lake · Antrim · ~43 km · Must-see
- Fife Lake · lake · Grand Traverse · ~45 km · Must-see
- Elk Lake · lake · Antrim · ~47 km · Must-see
- Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge · sanctuary · Otsego · ~48 km · Must-see
- Saint Mary Cathedral · church · Otsego · ~50 km · Must-see
Other lakes, dams & reservoirs near Bear Lake
- Lake Five · lake · Kalkaska · ~13 km · Must-see
- Starvation Lake · lake · Kalkaska · ~16 km · Must-see
- Lake Margrethe · lake · Crawford · ~19 km · Must-see
- Heart Lake · lake · Otsego · ~34 km · Must-see
- North Higgins Lake State Park · lake · Crawford · ~35 km · Must-see
- Otsego Lake State Park · lake · Otsego · ~38 km · Must-see
- Otsego Lake · lake · Otsego · ~39 km · Must-see
- Lake Skegemog · lake · Kalkaska · ~39 km · Must-see
- Long Lake · lake · Kalkaska · ~41 km · Must-see
- Higgins Lake · lake · Roscommon · ~42 km · Must-see
Wikipedia · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · © GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0) · Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0)
Frequently asked
Is Bear Lake full? Are the gates open?
No visitor has reported the water level status for Bear Lake yet. Typical pattern: heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning. Busiest: Weekends, public holidays, Sankranti and Dasara breaks.
What is the best time to visit Bear Lake?
August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open. Heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning.
What are the places to visit near Bear Lake?
Nearby: Lake Five (lake, 13 km), Starvation Lake (lake, 16 km), Lake Margrethe (lake, 19 km), Hartwick Pines State Park (sanctuary, 27 km), Heart Lake (lake, 34 km), North Higgins Lake State Park (lake, 35 km).
Is Bear Lake worth visiting?
Bear Lake is listed as a must-see lake in Michigan on Spotwander.