Bear Island Lake
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 6 h ago
Is Bear Island Lake open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Superior National Forest. It doesn't name Bear Island Lake, so check the source for the area it covers.
Post Wildfire Closures, Effective October 1, 2026
Agency closure covering Superior National Forest · Order 09-09-00-26-11 · USFS · Superior National Forest
Forest Road Improvement Projects
Agency alert covering Superior National Forest · USFS · Superior National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Superior National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Bear Island Lake is a fishing lake in Minnesota's Superior National Forest, within the Kawishiwi Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the lake is not reservable. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Babbitt weather station show July highs around 77°F with lows near 53°F, while January highs average about 16°F. The Bear Island hike starts about 0.6 miles away, and the Bear Island Spur Loop is about 0.7 miles off. Birch Lake, about 4.2 miles away, offers more fishing, and Birch Lake Campground is about 7.7 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Piragis Northwoods Company9 mi away
- Voyageur North Outfitters10 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Bear IslandHiking0.6 mi
- BEAR ISLAND SPUR LOOPHiking0.7 mi
- Birch LakeLake fishing4.2 mi
- Birch Lake Plantation- Spur DHiking4.2 mi
- Birch Lake Plantation - Spur BHiking4.2 mi
- Birch PlantationHiking4.5 mi
Birch Lake CampgroundCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain7.7 mi- Science BoulderRock climbing10 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Fenske Lake CampgroundPier fishing · ~26 min drive
- Birch LakeLake fishing · ~7 min drive
- Vermilion RiverRiver fishing · ~29 min drive
- Fenske Lake Fishing PierPier fishing · ~26 min drive
- Kangas LakeLake fishing · ~9 min drive
- Pfeiffer Lake Fishing PierPier fishing · ~42 min drive
- Starling LakeLake fishing · ~28 min drive
- Dumbbell Lake Fishing PierPier fishing · ~58 min drive
- Neewin LakeLake fishing · ~30 min drive
- Hogback Lake Fishing PierPier fishing · ~1h 7m drive
Best time to visit Bear Island Lake
Best months: July–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
16° / -7°
9 wet
Feb
21° / -5°
8 wet
Mar
34° / 10°
8 wet
Apr
48° / 25°
9 wet
May
62° / 39°
13 wet
Jun
72° / 49°
13 wet
Jul
77° / 53°
12 wet
Aug
75° / 51°
10 wet
Sep
65° / 42°
10 wet
Oct
50° / 31°
11 wet
Nov
34° / 18°
9 wet
Dec
21° / 2°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Babbitt, MN, 4.5 mi away at 1,481 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Closures we've recorded since August 2026
Forest-wide Fire Restrictions
Superior National Forest · Order dated July 12, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Aug 25, 2026 · Forest Service
