Bear Lake: 107 Electric-Only Acres in Blackwater River State Forest

Major and minor solunar windows shift daily with the moon’s transit. Fish the windows above, or check the Seasonal Playbook below for Bear Lake’s current pattern.

Florida's wildlife agency gives no spring pattern for Bear Lake, and no dated spring report is published that we can cite, so this section keeps to what its page supports. Bear Lake is a 107-acre impoundment in Blackwater River State Forest, about two miles east of Munson on State Road 4. It averages 8 feet deep and reaches 23, and it holds largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie, hybrid striped bass and channel catfish from state stockings. Bluegill and redear sunfish take crickets or wigglers in deeper water on light tackle and small hooks, with split shot two to three feet above the hook to hold the bait near the bottom. The two-lane concrete ramp is inside Bear Lake Campground, which charges $2 a car, and two primitive dirt landings off Hurricane Lake Road carry no fee.

No dated summer report is published for Bear Lake that we can cite, and the agency's written forecast does not cover the hot months. A wheelchair-accessible fishing pier and an information kiosk stand near the ramp, the Florida Forest Service runs the campground, and a few jon boats and canoes can be rented by calling 850-957-6140. Channel catfish take beef or chicken liver on the bottom in deeper water. Bluegill and redear sunfish take crickets or wigglers in deeper water on light tackle and small hooks, with split shot two to three feet above the hook to hold the bait near the bottom. The two-lane concrete ramp is inside Bear Lake Campground, which charges $2 a car, and two primitive dirt landings off Hurricane Lake Road carry no fee. Gasoline motors are prohibited and electric trolling motors are allowed. The lake is a Fish Management Area, so its limits are the ones printed for such areas in Florida's freshwater regulations.

The agency's forecast for Bear Lake is written for the cooling months. For bass the agency says to fish midday in the spots that get the most direct sun, around brush piles and other hard structure, and along steep slopes where fish suspend at six to seven feet. The earthen dam is its suggested starting point, with sunfish or shad imitations on a suspending crankbait, a Rat-L-Trap or a slow spinnerbait. Black crappie look for shallow, warm water once the weather cools; the agency suggests larger baits near standing timber and shallow creek channels, a jig with a 2 3/8-inch body on a quarter-ounce head, or live minnows. No dated fall report is published for the lake that we can cite, so this is standing advice and not this season's catch. Gasoline motors are prohibited and electric trolling motors are allowed. The lake is a Fish Management Area, so its limits are the ones printed for such areas in Florida's freshwater regulations.

Cold weather is what the agency's Bear Lake forecast is about. For bass the agency says to fish midday in the spots that get the most direct sun, around brush piles and other hard structure, and along steep slopes where fish suspend at six to seven feet. The earthen dam is its suggested starting point, with sunfish or shad imitations on a suspending crankbait, a Rat-L-Trap or a slow spinnerbait. Bluegill and redear sunfish take crickets or wigglers in deeper water on light tackle and small hooks, with split shot two to three feet above the hook to hold the bait near the bottom. Black crappie look for shallow, warm water once the weather cools; the agency suggests larger baits near standing timber and shallow creek channels, a jig with a 2 3/8-inch body on a quarter-ounce head, or live minnows. The two-lane concrete ramp is inside Bear Lake Campground, which charges $2 a car, and two primitive dirt landings off Hurricane Lake Road carry no fee.

Bear Lake Campground Boat Ramp

Munson, FL

Parking

spots

Fee

$2 per car (Florida Forest Service)

Two-lane concrete ramp. Electric motors only.