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Aerial view of Bear Lake, Idaho-Utah.jpg

Vladsinger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Lakes → Utah → Bear Lake

Bear Lake

Utah · Natural · near Garden City

71,000 acres 208 ft deep 30 ft clarity Water A

Compare

6.6SCORE

Survey summary · Utah

71,000

Surface acres

208 ft

Max depth

48 mi

Shoreline

30 ft

Typical clarity

5,924 ft

Elevation

Bear Lake. Rich County, Utah - NARA - 516734.jpg

Photographs of Bear Lake via Wikimedia Commons. Credit and licence on each image — hover to view, click through to the source.

Bear Lake covers 71,000 acres in Utah and drops to 208 feet at its deepest point. It is a natural lake, which generally means a more stable shoreline and fewer drawdown surprises than an impoundment. Water clarity averages around 30 feet, placing it among the clearer bodies of water in the country. Short-term rental posture: Rich County; Garden City. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

Exceptional clarity, roughly 30 ft
Deep water — 208 ft max
Large open water, 71,000 acres
Boating
Beaches

Score breakdown

Water 8.7

Recreation 7.2

Value 2.5

Access 7.3

Investment 6.3

Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.

Water quality grade

Water A

ExcellentClear, low-nutrient water. Typically oligotrophic with high clarity and little seasonal algae.

Water B

GoodHealthy water with moderate clarity. Some seasonal variation, no persistent problems.

Water C

FairProductive water — good fishing, reduced clarity. Algae possible in late summer.

Water D

PoorNutrient-rich or heavily drawn down. Swimmable conditions vary; check before you rely on them.

Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.

Overall score, 1–10

8.0+

ExceptionalStrong on every axis we measure.

7.0–7.9

StrongClearly above average, usually with one standout axis.

6.0–6.9

SolidA good lake with a trade-off worth understanding.

5.0–5.9

MixedReal strengths and real compromises.

Under 5

CompromisedSomething material — volatility, water quality, or access.

Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.

Fishery

Bonneville ciscoLake troutCutthroat troutWhitefish

On the water

BoatingBeachesRaspberriesFishing

Nearest station: BEAR RIVER BELOW PIXLEY DAM, NEAR COKEVILLE, WY. This is a stream gauge on connected water, not a gauge on the lake itself. It responds to storms and dam releases, so read it as a signal about the system — not as the lake's surface elevation.

4.85 ft

Gage height

2026-08-04

Gauge history

Daily values from USGS. Loading up to one year.

What the drawdown looks like

Full pool vs autumn low · Bear Lake

The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 10 ft figure is from published operations for this lake.

Where it is

True shoreline from USGS NHD 283 km²

The outline is this lake's actual boundary from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset, not an approximation — 349 boundary points. Basemap is USGS topographic with contours and hydrography. Switch layers at the top right.

Depth profile

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 208 ft, average 67 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityManaged Typical drawdown10 ft Drawdown seasonAutumn Trophic stateOligotrophic Typical clarity30 ft Water quality gradeA Elevation5,924 ft Managing authorityUtah DNR / Idaho

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authorityUtah FFSL / Idaho Lands Wake / speed rulesOpen water

A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with Utah FFSL / Idaho Lands that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

Rich County; Garden City

Generally permitted, but rules change. Confirm the specific municipality and any HOA covenant.

Model rental income →

Modeled estimates. Market figures are derived from lake attributes and regional patterns, not from MLS data. Treat them as a starting point, not a comp.

$1,290,000

Median waterfront

$5,505

Per shoreline foot

+1.4%

Year over year

317

Est. inventory

Avg days on market

$714

Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy53% Booked nights / yr139 Gross revenue$107,501 Net operating income$54,646 Yield on median price4.24%

Open the full model →

What a median-priced home on Bear Lake actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.

$10,140

All-in per month

$292,210

Cash to close + setup

$21,158

Beyond P&I, tax, insurance

Where the annual cost goes

Principal & interest $81,561 (68%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $14,190 (12%) Property taxes $13,545 (11%) Hazard insurance $5,418 (5%) Utilities $2,700 (2%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (1%) Dock maintenance $900 (1%) Flood insurance $878 (1%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest	$81,561
Property taxes	$13,545
Hazard insurance	$5,418
Flood insurance	$878
Utilities	$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)	$14,190
Septic service	$520
Well & water testing	$260
Dock maintenance	$900
Winterization / seasonal close	$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve	$960
Total	$121,682

Model your own numbers →

5.0 / 5 from 2 reviews

Twenty years on this water

Steve & Kate P. · Owner on the lake · Summer 2026

5/5

We bought in 2005 and have never regretted it. The lake is busy on holiday weekends and quiet the rest of the time. Get a dock on the main channel if you can — the coves warm up and weed over by August.

Best family lake we found

R. Castellanos · Fall 2025

5/5

We looked at six lakes across three states before choosing this one. Sandy bottom in the swim areas, enough marina services, and it never feels crowded outside July.