Lower Bear River Reservoir
- Status
- FS campgrounds closed for the season (Oct 2026)
- Size
- 166 acres, 2.5 mi of shoreline
- Elevation
- 5,900 ft
- Launch
- Bear River Resort
- Boat launch
- Swimming
- Fishing
- Boat rentals
- Camping
- Restrooms
About this lake
Lower Bear River Reservoir is a 166-acre lake with 2.5 miles of shoreline at 5,900 feet in the Eldorado National Forest, off Highway 88 about 22 miles east of Pioneer, next to the Mokelumne Wilderness.
On the water
Bear River Resort has a boat launch, boat rentals, a store, showers and a dump station. Kit Carson Lodge nearby also rents boats. The Forest Service lists motorized boating, swimming, canoeing and fishing for rainbow, brown and mackinaw trout. It asks boaters to clean, drain and dry and to check launching rules (its alert: Help Halt Golden Mussel Invasion).
Camping
Forest Service campgrounds include South Shore (21 sites, Recreation.gov), Pardoes Point (10 tent sites, June through October) and Sugar Pine Point. The Forest Service listed all of them as closed for the season in October 2026. Snow lingers into late spring.
Getting there & access
Getting there
Take Highway 88 about 22 miles east of Pioneer and turn at the Bear River Lake Resort sign.
Season
Pardoes Point runs June through October; snow lingers into late spring.
Golden mussels
The Forest Service asks every boater to clean, drain and dry boats, trailers and gear, never drain bilge or ballast into the lake, and check the lake's launching rules before visiting. California also requires a Mussel Fee Sticker on motorized boats used in fresh water.
- Fishing
- Rainbow, brown and mackinaw trout
- South Shore Campground
- 209-295-4360
What's here
Launch
Boat launch at Bear River Resort
Boat rentals
Rentals at Bear River Resort and Kit Carson Lodge
Swimming
Swimming in the reservoir
Fishing
Rainbow, brown and mackinaw trout
Camping
South Shore, Pardoes Point and Sugar Pine Point campgrounds
Restrooms
Showers at Bear River Resort
Rules & official resources
- California Boater Card required for all operators of motorized vessels, regardless of age, since January 1, 2025dbw.parks.ca.gov ↗
- Camping limited to 14 days per calendar year forest-wide (Forest Order 19-15-01)recreation.gov ↗
- The Forest Service asks boaters to clean, drain and dry boats and gear and to contact each lake's managing agency for its launching and inspection rules before visiting; it lists no inspection station for this lakefs.usda.gov ↗
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