Lake Size: 7 miles long, 2.5 miles wide Shoreline Length (Miles): 16 miles Deepest Depth: 72 feet Latitude: 34.241944 Longitude: -116.976944 Lake Level Above Sea Level: 6752 feet Counties: San Bernardino County Cities: San Bernadino Lake Management: US Army Corps of Engineers
Information: Big Bear Lake was inhabited by the indigenous Serrano Indians for over 2,000 years before it was explored by Benjamin Wilson and his party. Once populated by only the natives and the grizzly bears, from which the area received its name, Big Bear Valley grew rapidly during the Southern California Gold Rush from 1861 to 1912. Grizzly bears were not found in the region after 1906.
A trip to Big Bear Lake from San Bernardino took two days on horse-drawn coaches. Kirk Phillips was a local who took a trip to New York City and saw the world's first bus line. This inspired him to create the world's second bus line from San Bernardino to Big Bear Valley using white trucks with several rows of seats. This made it possible for the villages to grow and for Big Bear Lake to become the first mountain recreation area in Southern California.
Boating
Fishing
Business
Recreation
Miscellaneous Info
Paddle boating, pontoon boating, sailing or power boating... windsurfing, sailboarding, waterskiing or jet skiing - Big Bear Lake offers it all! And all boats and equipment can be rented at any one of the marinas that dot the lake's 23 miles of shoreline. Private boat permits are required and can be purchased at any marina.
Big Bear Lake is an all species lake now! Bass, Crappie Catfish and Trout can be had all over the lake. Anglers are taking crappie in the bays near shore on Gulp waxies and mini-jigs. Both large and small mouth bass are hitting spinner and jigs baits tossed along rock covered jetty's and near docks. Please release these fish unharmed into the lake, as many are full of eggs, that will enhance the fishery for years to come. The panfish are great fun and easy for young anglers to catch the excitement of fishing. A clip on bobber attached three feet above a #6 size baitholder hook with a waxie or piece of nightcrawler is all you need. There is nothing better than to watch that bobber dance on then disappear under the water, accompanied by the surprised shouts from a young angler.
Big Bear Lake is Southern California's largest recreation lake. It is about seven miles long and about one mile at its widest. The primary summer attraction in Big Bear was fishing and it still is one of the most common activity there. The most abundant types of fish are trout, bass and catfish. Hiking, mountain biking and horse riding are also very popular. San Bernardino National Forest offers many trails in varying degrees of difficulty. During winter season Big Bear Lake becomes skiing and snowboarding destination for Southern California. There are two major ski resorts: Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. The town is also home to the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival, in operation since 1999.
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