Big Bear Lake, CA fishing times & weather

Spot type

A mountain lake in San Bernardino County, about 25 miles northeast of the city of San Bernardino (OEHHA, 2018). The Big Bear Municipal Water District (BBMWD) runs the public launch ramps, boat inspections and lake use permits (BBMWD — Public Launch Ramps; BBMWD — Launching Procedures; BBMWD — Lake Use Permits). The Forest Service lists the lake in the San Bernardino National Forest's Big Bear Lake Recreation Area (USFS — Big Bear Lake). BBMWD lists a surface area of 2,971 acres and 22 miles of shoreline (BBMWD — Current Lake Stats).

Public access

• Ramps. BBMWD runs two public launch ramps on North Shore Drive (BBMWD — Public Launch Ramps):
  • East Public Launch Ramp (Carol Morrison), 41911 North Shore Dr. As of 2026-10-16, BBMWD lists it as open daily, 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
  • West Public Launch Ramp (Duane Boyer), 38925 North Shore Dr., Fawnskin, for banded boats and non-registered vessels only. As of 2026-10-16, BBMWD lists it as closed.
  • Check the BBMWD ramp page for current status and hours.
• Non-motorized craft. Kayaks, canoes, float tubes, paddleboards and inflatables need an inspection and a lake use permit, which BBMWD says are available at any of the lake's launch facilities (BBMWD — Quagga Information).
• Stanfield Cutoff. The Forest Service describes the Stanfield Cutoff as the causeway that crosses the eastern part of the lake (USFS — Big Bear Lake).

Commonly caught species

• District records. BBMWD's fishing records list blue and channel catfish, bluegill, brown and rainbow trout, common carp, crappie, and largemouth and smallmouth bass (BBMWD — Fishing).
• Stocking. The Forest Service says rainbow trout may be planted by CDFW (USFS — Big Bear Lake).
• Consumption advisory. OEHHA's 2018 advisory covers black bass species, common carp, crappie and rainbow trout from the lake (OEHHA, 2018).

Local rules and authority

• Fishing rules. The Forest Service says fishing on the San Bernardino National Forest is regulated by CDFW and that anglers over 16 need a valid California fishing licence (USFS — Fishing). Check current regulations with CDFW.
• Quagga and zebra mussels. All vessels must arrive clean, drained and dry, and all vessels, motorized and non-motorized, must be inspected by WIT I certified staff before launching (BBMWD — Launching Procedures).
• Lake use permits. BBMWD requires a Lake Use Permit for all vessels on the lake, including paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and float tubes (BBMWD — Lake Use Permits). Check BBMWD for current permit details.
• Fish consumption. OEHHA has issued site-specific eating advice for Big Bear Lake fish, based on mercury and PCB levels (OEHHA, 2018). Check OEHHA for current advice.

Tide station

Not applicable — freshwater lake; no ocean tides. This site does not show Big Bear Lake's water level. BBMWD publishes weekly limnological monitoring sheets that list a lake level, a "Down" figure, and water temperature and dissolved oxygen at five mid-lake stations (BBMWD — Limnological Report). As of 2026-10-16, the latest sheet (dated 2026-10-13) lists "Lake Level: 6,733.76" and "Down: 9.46" (BBMWD sheet, Oct 13 2026).

Other spots nearby

• Bear Creek. Below Big Bear Lake, with wild brown and rainbow trout in a remote, steep canyon (USFS — Bear Creek). As of 2026-10-16, the Forest Service lists the Bear Creek site as closed. Check the Bear Creek page for current status.
• Holcomb Creek. A small creek northwest of the lake. CDFW may plant rainbow trout along the stream below the Falls Picnic Area (USFS — Holcomb Creek).
• Jenks Lake. A day-use area at 6,800 ft in the Forest Service's Barton Flats–San Gorgonio recreation area, with a fishing pier and shore fishing pads. CDFW may plant rainbow trout in spring and summer, and only hand-launched small boats are allowed, with no power boats (USFS — Jenks Lake).

Note updates

• 2026-10-16: Checked against the sources listed below and approved, replacing the earlier draft shown on this page. Statements we couldn't confirm from those sources were taken out, and status lines now carry the date we checked them. Changes from the draft:
  • Removed a full-lake elevation figure that the water district doesn't publish.
  • The lake-level details now quote the district's latest sheet (dated 2026-10-13).
  • Boat-ramp statuses are now dated.
  • Removed estimated distances to nearby lakes.

Sources

1. OEHHA — Press release: Advisory for Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino County (Jan 30, 2018) (PDF) — https://oehha.ca.gov/sites/default/files/media/downloads/advisories/bigbearlakepressrelease013018.pdf — accessed 2026-10-16
2. BBMWD — Launching Procedures — https://bbmwd.com/launching-procedures — accessed 2026-10-16
3. USDA Forest Service — Big Bear Lake (San Bernardino NF) — https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sanbernardino/recreation/big-bear-lake — accessed 2026-10-16
4. BBMWD — Limnological Report — https://www.bbmwd.com/limnological-report — accessed 2026-10-16
5. BBMWD — Public Launch Ramps — https://bbmwd.com/public-launch-ramps — accessed 2026-10-16
6. BBMWD — Quagga Information — https://bbmwd.com/quagga-information — accessed 2026-10-16
7. BBMWD — Fishing — https://www.bbmwd.com/fishing — accessed 2026-10-16
8. USDA Forest Service — San Bernardino NF: Fishing — https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sanbernardino/recreation/opportunities/fishing — accessed 2026-10-16
9. CDFW — Fishing and Hunting Regulations — https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations — accessed 2026-10-16
10. USDA Forest Service — Bear Creek — https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sanbernardino/recreation/bear-creek — accessed 2026-10-16
11. USDA Forest Service — Holcomb Creek — https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sanbernardino/recreation/holcomb-creek — accessed 2026-10-16
12. BBMWD — Big Bear Lake Limnological Monitoring sheet, 10/13/2026 (PDF) — https://www.bbmwd.com/files/0990db04b/October+13.pdf — accessed 2026-10-16
13. BBMWD — Lake Use Permit Fees — https://www.bbmwd.com/lake-use-permit-fees — accessed 2026-10-16
14. BBMWD — Current Lake Stats — https://www.bbmwd.com/current-lake-stats — accessed 2026-10-16
15. USDA Forest Service — Jenks Lake Day Use Area — https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sanbernardino/recreation/jenks-lake-day-use-area — accessed 2026-10-16