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Big Bear Lake is a high-elevation alpine reservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, celebrated for year-round recreation, trout fishing, boating, and pine-fringed mountain scenery.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 8, 11:08 PM PDT) found no active alerts for this lake, but that check is older than LakeRadar's alert freshness window, so the current alert status could not be confirmed.
Confirm before heading out: official alerts for this area or weather.gov/alerts. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
Overall Good (87/100) across 5 activities. Best right now: Fishing (94/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 93/100 across these hours. Measured water temperature 74°F from a representative gauge 18.6 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 5 mph from the south. Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 53° | 53° | 52° | 51° | 51° | 50° | 50° | 52° | 59° | 64° | 68° | 69° | 69° | 69° | 68° | 66° | 64° | 60° | 57° | 54° | 52° | 51° | 50° | 49° |
| Wind (kts) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Direction | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Precip % | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 1 AM PDT | 53°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 1% | 7% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 2 AM PDT | 53°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 9 mph | 1% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 3 AM PDT | 52°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 9 mph | 1% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 4 AM PDT | 51°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 9 mph | 1% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 5 AM PDT | 51°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 2% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 6 AM PDT | 50°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 2% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM PDT | 50°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 2% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM PDT | 52°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 2% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM PDT | 59°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 10 mph | 2% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM PDT | 64°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 2% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM PDT | 68°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 2% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM PDT | 69°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 17 mph | 2% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM PDT | 69°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 18 mph | 2% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM PDT | 69°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 20 mph | 2% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM PDT | 68°F | 15 mph SW (225°) | 21 mph | 2% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM PDT | 66°F | 15 mph SW (225°) | 21 mph | 2% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM PDT | 64°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 20 mph | 0% | 5% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM PDT | 60°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 17 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM PDT | 57°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM PDT | 54°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM PDT | 52°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM PDT | 51°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM PDT | 50°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 2% | 56% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM PDT | 49°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 2% | 56% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM PDT | 49°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 2% | 56% | Mostly Cloudy |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Today October 8, 2026 | Tonight October 8, 2026 | Tonight October 8, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 74° | 50° | 50° | 70° | 47° | 60° | 41° | 51° | 33° | 43° | 29° | 46° | 31° | 53° |
| Wind | S 5 to 10 mph | S 0 to 5 mph | S 5 mph | S 5 to 15 mph | S 5 to 10 mph | SW 10 to 15 mph | S 5 to 10 mph | S 10 to 25 mph | SW 20 mph | SW 5 to 20 mph | SW 5 mph | SW 5 to 10 mph | SW 5 to 10 mph | SW 0 to 10 mph |
| Gusts | 14 mph | 10 mph | 9 mph | 25 mph | 17 mph | 25 mph | 20 mph | 35 mph | 37 mph | 30 mph | 18 mph | 16 mph | 16 mph | 16 mph |
| Precip % | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 36% | 74% | 79% | 79% | 70% | 39% | 31% | 13% | 6% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Big Bear Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
DEEP C NR HESPERIA CA · Oct 9, 1:00 AM UTC
Excellent for fishing (94/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 66°F from a representative gauge 18.6 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 5 mph from the east. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (82%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (94/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the east. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (80/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Gusts exceed sustained wind by 8 mph, making the breeze puffy. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (77/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the east. Gusts to 13 mph. Combined air and water temperature is 116°F (below the 120°F safety guideline). Thermal protection recommended for paddle craft. Confidence is high (90%).
Surface water measured at 74°F. Air and water contrast evaluate recreational immersion comfort.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of Big Bear Municipal Water District. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Nestled within CA, Big Bear Lake offers extensive shoreline access and dependable waters for public recreation. The lake accommodates a wide variety of activities including waterskiing, pontoon cruising, and bank angling. Facility management and regional habitat protection are administered by Big Bear Municipal Water District.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by Big Bear Municipal Water District. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
High-altitude mountain winter climate (elevation 6,750 ft MSL). Freezing temperatures, potential snowpack or ice cover, and reduced seasonal amenities. Winter safety caution advised.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Big Bear Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 1:03 AM PDT