The BVRI Users’ Guide to Enjoying Bear Lake 

Bruce Orvis, the founder of Bear Valley, called Bear Lake the jewel of our community. 

It was created in 1965 on a site that had a lake 10 million years ago. The lake holds 400 acre feet of water and has a surface area of 13 acres. Its deepest point is 59 feet. Most of the water falls out of the sky as snow, which melts in spring in the watershed and flows in seasonal streams into the lake. There’s also a spring at the bottom of the lake, rich in iron and manganese. There’s one outflow, the spillway which runs when the lake overflows, typically in spring through July. The water runs into Bear Creek, through the Bear Valley meadow, eventually to the Stanislaus River.

The lake is the main source of drinking water for Bear Valley, as well as a fabulous recreational resource. It also provides water to the ski area for snowmaking.

It’s not customary to allow swimming in a primary drinking water lake. Lake Alpine Water Company (LAWC), which owns the lake, cooperates with Bear Valley Residents, Inc. (BVRI), which oversees recreation in and around the lake, to preserve the water quality to high standards. The water, the beaches, and the lakeside land are all private property, subject to the rules of LAWC and BVRI.

Bear Lake has legislative permission for human contact with the water, as long as these standards are met: 

• The lake is constantly tested to assure compliance. 
• Motorized craft are not allowed at Bear Lake, to keep petroleum products and invasive species out. 
• State Law and the Recreational Use Permit prohibit dogs and other pets at the lake or on the beaches, to keep out microorganisms that can compromise water treatment. 
• A representative is present at the lake during peak times to ensure these rules are met. 
• Recreationalists are encouraged to use ecologically friendly sunscreen.

LAKE ETIQUETTE & RULES

Recreation in and around Bear Lake is reserved for members of Bear Valley Residents, Inc. For all to enjoy the lake, we ask for common courtesy at the beaches and around the lake. Sound travels over water, and after 10pm or before 8am, it’s quiet time – no boom boxes or hootenannies. Remember that Bear Valley is a residential area.

Our beach attendants help keep order at the beaches. They may check your credentials as a BVRI member. They will gladly answer your questions about BVRI, the lake, and the community. And they can help you sign up for BVRI if you’re not a member.

If you use the firepit, make sure to put your fire out completely by 10pm. There may be times when fire regulations prohibit use of the firepit, and it will be posted to that effect.    

The attendants also help keep the beaches clean. You can help too, please! Receptacles are provided for trash and recyclables. Please use the port-a-potties, not the woods.

Please be considerate with placement of large tents, awnings, or other structures so that you do not block the view of the lake (and children playing in it) from the picnic tables, or otherwise compromise the enjoyment of the beach by others. Canopies and tents are not to be left up unoccupied or overnight.    

Non-motorized small watercraft are welcome. There are none provided for common use; bring your own, please, and don’t “borrow” other people’s boats, kayaks, canoes, beach toys, or paddles. Boats that travel over 10 knots are prohibited. The speed limit for boats within 200 feet of swimmers or the beach and dock is 5 mph. Avoid using watercraft that may carry invasive species from other lakes. 

Watercraft may be left for a period of time at the beaches but should be stored in the racks provided. If the racks are full, leave boats well off to the side of the beach and out of the way of others. Watercraft may not be left over the winter: it must be removed by the end of October.

GO FISH 

There are (very tasty) fish in Bear Lake. You must have a fishing license to fish in Bear Lake and obey all applicable Fish and Game regulations. And you must be a BVRI member. There are trout, perch, and catfish. For trout, the limit is two a day per person. There’s no limit on other types of fish. Please do not introduce live baitfish into the lake, and please do not fish from the Big Beach or the swimming platform where others are swimming.

At the beaches, there are well-designated trails. Please stay on the trails, to avoid erosion in the lake basin. When walking around the lake on the trail, don’t trespass onto private property.

You may reserve the beaches for parties, with conditions. You must be a BVRI member. You will pay a fee and a deposit, and sign a form. No one is allowed exclusive use of the beaches, even with a reservation. Reserve parties may not monopolize the facilities or interfere with other members’ enjoyment of the beaches or the lake. Email bvri@goldrush.com if you have questions.

—Eric Jung, BVRI Secretary and Editor of the Cub Reporter