Can you sleep on Bear Lake?

If you plan to camp overnight, please use one of the many public and private camping areas around the lake (see map). No camping after 10 p.m. on the public beaches or exposed bed of Bear Lake.



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There are no current health advisories for this water body. Conditions may change quickly. Check before entering the water and know how to spot a harmful algal bloom.

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Bear Lake is a natural freshwater lake on the Idaho–Utah border in the Western United States. About 109 square miles in size, it is split about equally between the two states; its Utah portion comprises the second-largest natural freshwater lake in Utah, after Utah Lake.



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In the Summer time the water temperature in Bear Lake ranges from 68 to 72 degrees. In the Winter time it usually ranges from 35 to 40 degrees and only freezes over 70% of the time. Bear Lake is a great place to swim, boat, kayak, or just sit on the beach.

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It's high elevation makes this region one of the coldest areas in the state. The intense inversion also accounts for some extremely cold temperatures in winter. The coldest temperature on record, 50°F below zero, was recorded at Woodruff in February of 1899.

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Bear Lake is known for its native species endemic to the turquoise blue waters – the Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (official state fish of Utah), Bonneville Cisco, Bonneville Whitefish and Bear Lake Sculpin – drawing anglers from near and far to jig of the rock piles, troll the waters, and ice fish at the famous Bear Lake ...

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Bear Lake contains abundant suspended microscopic particles of white-colored calcium carbonate (lime) that reflect the water's natural blue color back to the surface, giving the lake its intense turquoise-blue color.

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Bear Lake is beautiful -- but resist the urge to jump in, or else you may come face to face with an alligator! Swimming is prohibited here for this reason, so keep your pupper well away from the shores at all times.

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Bear Lake History Whereas grizzlies have now been extinct in the area for a century, about 30 black bears still live in Rocky Mountain National Park.

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