Southwest · Hillsdale
Bear Lake
Public trout plants
31
Fish recorded
259,650
History
1994-2025
DNR water ID
6701
Today's conditions
Good · 69 out of 100 · Weather-only estimate
Water temperature
Not reported
River flow
Not reported
Gauge height
Not reported
Eddy's read today
Eddy here - Bear Lake: Good today. Light winds. 6,078 Michigan stocked Apr 29. Try a nymph, like a pheasant tail. (Weather only)
St. Joseph River tributaries and inland warmwater lakes.
Steelhead fall and spring; bass May-September; panfish year-round. Check current Michigan fishing regulations before a trip.
41.86139, -84.67988 · BLM PLSS section centroid · MI190070S0030W0 section 17
Representative stocking location, not an access point or surveyed water centroid.
Species on record
Historical public plants establish recorded presence, not a guarantee of fish here today.
Trout stocking history
Michigan DNR sourceSite rows are combined by water, species, strain and event date. Private plants are excluded. Stocking dates are when fish went in, not when the record was discovered.
31 public plants
| Event date | Species / strain | Fish | Avg. length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-29 | Rainbow trout Michigan | 6,078 | 7.2 in (18.3 cm) |
| 2024-04-30 | Rainbow trout Michigan | 9,673 | 7.6 in (19.3 cm) |
| 2023-05-04 | Rainbow trout Michigan | 6,202 | 6.9 in (17.4 cm) |
| 2022-05-10 | Rainbow trout Michigan | 7,319 | 6.5 in (16.4 cm) |
| 2021-04-09 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 8,775 | 6.3 in (15.9 cm) |
| 2019-04-26 | Rainbow trout Michigan | 8,773 | 7 in (17.9 cm) |
| 2018-05-02 | Rainbow trout Michigan | 8,775 | 7.5 in (19.1 cm) |
| 2017-04-27 | Rainbow trout Michigan | 8,779 | 6.7 in (17.1 cm) |
| 2016-03-21 | Rainbow trout Michigan | 8,775 | 7.6 in (19.3 cm) |
| 2015-04-13 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 9,600 | 6.6 in (16.9 cm) |
| 2014-04-09 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 9,400 | 4.6 in (11.6 cm) |
| 2013-04-30 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 9,196 | 6.9 in (17.5 cm) |
| 2012-04-03 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 9,098 | 6.7 in (17.1 cm) |
| 2011-04-12 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 9,398 | 6.2 in (15.9 cm) |
| 2010-04-12 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 9,394 | 6.6 in (16.9 cm) |
| 2009-04-14 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 9,790 | 6.4 in (16.2 cm) |
| 2008-04-14 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 8,775 | 7.2 in (18.4 cm) |
| 2007-04-02 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 8,047 | 6.5 in (16.5 cm) |
| 2006-04-03 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 8,772 | 6.4 in (16.3 cm) |
| 2005-04-19 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 10,990 | 7.1 in (18.2 cm) |
| 2004-04-05 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 8,769 | 7 in (17.8 cm) |
| 2003-04-23 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 8,760 | 6.5 in (16.6 cm) |
| 2002-04-01 | Steelhead (rainbow trout) Eagle Lake | 8,775 | 5.9 in (15.0 cm) |
| 2001-04-03 | Rainbow trout Shasta | 8,775 | 5.9 in (15.1 cm) |
| 2000-04-04 | Rainbow trout Shasta | 8,775 | 6.1 in (15.5 cm) |
| 1999-04-08 | Rainbow trout Shasta | 8,350 | 6.8 in (17.3 cm) |
| 1998-03-25 | Rainbow trout Shasta | 8,450 | 5.9 in (14.9 cm) |
| 1997-03-19 | Rainbow trout Shasta | 5,848 | 6.2 in (15.7 cm) |
| 1996-04-08 | Rainbow trout Shasta | 5,845 | 6.4 in (16.2 cm) |
| 1995-04-10 | Rainbow trout Arlee | 5,848 | 7 in (17.8 cm) |
Small fish are future fishery history, not a claim of fishable stockers. Average length is count-weighted from available measurements. No per-record posting time is supplied by DNR. Steelhead classification uses verified strains; Michigan strain requires a verified Great Lakes tributary.