---
type: lake
name: "Bear Lake"
county: "Freeborn"
nearest_town: "Emmons"
lake_type: "lake"
acres: 1033
max_depth_ft: 6
latitude: 43.54575
longitude: -93.50217
lake_score: 36
dnr_lake_id: "24002800"
url: https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/freeborn-county/bear-lake
---

# Bear Lake

Lake in Freeborn County, Minnesota, near Emmons

- **Surface Area**: 1,033 acres
- **Max Depth**: 6 ft
- **Average Depth**: 3 ft
- **Shoreline**: 6.9 miles
- **Lake Type**: lake
- **Public Access**: 1 public boat launch (gravel or earth)
- **Lake Score**: 36/100 (composite of public data, not a visitor rating)

## About

Bear Lake is a 1,033-acre lake near Emmons in Freeborn County, Minnesota. It reaches 6 feet at its deepest point, with an average depth of about 3 feet, and has roughly 6.9 miles of shoreline.

The DNR has no fish survey on file for this lake, so treat any fishing as exploratory.

There is one public boat launch (gravel or earth surface) managed by the Minnesota DNR. Ice typically goes out around March 30, based on 7 years of DNR ice-out records.

## Access

- **Public access**: 1 public boat launch (gravel or earth)
- **Managed by**: Minnesota DNR
- **Launch fee**: Free at DNR public water accesses

## Activities

Boating, Paddling

## Amenities

Boat Ramp

## Fish Species

No DNR fish survey on file

## Ice-Out

- **Median ice-out**: March 30
- **Years of record**: 7
- **Earliest**: 2016-03-12
- **Latest**: 2018-04-28

## Nearby Lakes

- [State Line Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/freeborn-county/state-line-lake) - 3 miles, 372 acres
- [Pickeral Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/freeborn-county/pickeral-lake) - 7.5 miles, 588 acres
- [White Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/freeborn-county/white-lake) - 9.2 miles, 168 acres
- [Fountain Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/freeborn-county/fountain-lake) - 10.3 miles, 522 acres
- [Albert Lea Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/freeborn-county/albert-lea-lake) - 11.1 miles, 2,669 acres
- [Rice Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/faribault-county/rice-lake) - 13.4 miles, 266 acres

## Links

- [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=43.54575,-93.50217)
- [Minnesota DNR LakeFinder](https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/lake.html?id=24002800)
- [All lakes in Freeborn County](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/freeborn-county)

---
*Source: [MinneLakes.org](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/freeborn-county/bear-lake)*