UtahNatural lakeRich County

Bear Lake

Bear Lake is a lake of some 70,000 acres on the Bear Lake Outlet, in Utah. It lies in Rich County. Management is in the hands of Utah State Parks / Idaho DPR. The gauge last read 5,918.83 ft.

Water level today: 5,918.83 ft · see the full record

Photo: kla4067 · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

CountiesRich County

Coordinates42.0000, -111.3333

Surface area70,000 acres

Max depth208 ft

RiverBear Lake Outlet

Managed byUtah State Parks / Idaho DPR

Swimming beaches on Bear Lake

2 named swimming spots and shoreline access points, from USGS GNIS, Recreation.gov and the Forest Service. None is staffed by a lifeguard unless the operating agency posts one.

Bear Lake

Cisco Beach

Rich County; 3.6 mi from the lake center.

USGS GNISSwimming

Bear Lake

Bear Lake State Park

Fee information published; 4.2 mi from the lake center.

Recreation.gov (RIDB)Fee Information Published

Bear Lake on the map

Lake center, swimming spots and access points.

Get directions

Weather and water temperature

Air temperature and wind from Open-Meteo. Water temperature only when the lake has a public sensor.

Weather data by Open-Meteo

Water level today

Readings come from station 10055000 (BEAR LAKE AT STATE PARK MARINA NR GARDEN CITY, UT). The last value stored here, 5,918.83 ft, is from 2026-09-09. The Corps of Engineers puts the top of the flood pool at 413.5 ft. The top of the dam sits at 434.5 ft. Over the record shown on the level page the gauge has moved between 5,918.89 ft and 5,923.60 ft (low on 2026-09-08, high on 2025-08-05). Beach width and ramp access both move with the pool, so the number above is worth a look first.

5,918.83 ft -0.28 ft in 7 days

Reading of Sep 9, 2026 · source: USGS

Full water level record for Bear Lake

What to know before you go to Bear Lake

Bear Lake sits at 42.0000, -111.3333. It lies at roughly 5,924 feet of elevation. It reaches roughly 208 feet at its deepest.

The closest lakes in this guide are Newton Reservoir (Utah, 34 mi), Hyrum Reservoir (Utah, 38 mi) and Causey Reservoir (Utah, 50 mi). Utah has 28 lakes on this site in total.

Water temperature is not measured at this lake by any public agency we read. Algae blooms are seasonal and local: look for posted signs at the ramp or park entrance. Swimming season in Utah runs through the warm months, and day-use areas set their own opening dates.

Around Bear Lake this guide maps 2 named swimming spots. Among them are Cisco Beach and Bear Lake State Park. These come from Recreation.gov (RIDB) and USGS GNIS. Fees and opening dates are set by each park, not by the agency that runs the water.

Questions about Bear Lake

Can you swim in Bear Lake?

Yes. This guide maps 2 named swimming spots around the lake, including Cisco Beach and Bear Lake State Park. None is staffed by a lifeguard unless the operating agency posts one.

How big is Bear Lake?

About 70,000 acres. Maximum depth is around 208 feet.

What other lakes are near Bear Lake?

The closest in this guide is Newton Reservoir, about 34 miles away in Utah.