Notable lake · Plumas, California
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is a lake in Plumas, California.
Big Bear Lake: crowds and conditions
Typical pattern: moderate; weekends busier. 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 Big Bear Lake
Season: August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open.
Busiest days: Weekends and long holidays.
Crowd: Moderate; weekends busier.
Typical week: Mon light · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri light · Sat busy · Sun busy.
How to reach Big Bear Lake — distance from nearby cities
Coordinates: 39.69039, -120.66898. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.
Places to visit near Big Bear Lake
- Eureka Peak · viewpoint · Plumas · ~10 km · Must-see
- Plumas-Eureka State Park · sanctuary · Plumas · ~11 km · Must-see
- Sierra Buttes · viewpoint · Sierra · ~14 km · Must-see
- Schroeder Mountain · viewpoint · Sierra · ~17 km · Must-see
- Mount Fillmore · viewpoint · Sierra · ~20 km · Must-see
- Downieville United Methodist · church · Sierra · ~25 km · Must-see
- Western Pacific Railroad Museum · museum · Plumas · ~26 km · Must-see
- Portola Church of the Nazarene · church · Plumas · ~27 km · Must-see
- Plumas National Forest · sanctuary · Plumas · ~27 km · Must-see
- Lake Davis · lake · Plumas · ~35 km · Must-see
- Sierra Valley Preserve · viewpoint · Plumas · ~36 km · Must-see
- Little Grass Valley Reservoir · lake · Plumas · ~36 km · Must-see
- Sugar Pine Peak · viewpoint · Plumas · ~39 km · Must-see
- Gold Canyon · viewpoint · Nevada · ~39 km · Must-see
- Henness Pass · sanctuary · Sierra · ~40 km · Must-see
- French Lake Dam · lake · Nevada · ~40 km · Must-see
- Tahoe National Forest · sanctuary · Nevada · ~42 km · Must-see
- Mount Ingalls · viewpoint · Plumas · ~42 km · Must-see
Other lakes, dams & reservoirs near Big Bear Lake
- Lake Davis · lake · Plumas · ~35 km · Must-see
- Little Grass Valley Reservoir · lake · Plumas · ~36 km · Must-see
- French Lake Dam · lake · Nevada · ~40 km · Must-see
- Independence Lake · lake · Nevada · ~52 km · Must-see
- New Bullards Bar Reservoir · lake · Yuba · ~58 km · Must-see
- Frenchman Lake · lake · Plumas · ~60 km · Must-see
- Bucks Lake · lake · Plumas · ~61 km · Must-see
- Scotts Flat Reservoir · lake · Nevada · ~63 km · Must-see
- New Bullards Bar Dam · lake · Yuba · ~65 km · Must-see
- Donner Lake · lake · Nevada · ~67 km · Must-see
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · © GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0)
Frequently asked
Is Big Bear Lake full? Are the gates open?
No visitor has reported the water level status for Big Bear Lake yet. Typical pattern: moderate; weekends busier. Busiest: Weekends and long holidays.
What is the best time to visit Big Bear Lake?
August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open. Moderate; weekends busier.
What are the places to visit near Big Bear Lake?
Nearby: Eureka Peak (viewpoint, 10 km), Plumas-Eureka State Park (sanctuary, 11 km), Sierra Buttes (viewpoint, 14 km), Schroeder Mountain (viewpoint, 17 km), Mount Fillmore (viewpoint, 20 km), Downieville United Methodist (church, 25 km).
Is Big Bear Lake worth visiting?
Big Bear Lake is listed as a notable lake in California on Spotwander.