SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. – A partial drawdown of Bear Lake in Santa Rosa County is beginning this month to help control nuisance aquatic vegetation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced.
The FWC and Florida Forest Service – Blackwater River State Forest are working on a brief drawdown of Bear Lake beginning in November and ending in March of 2024. According to the FWC, the partial drawdown, or lowering of lake water levels, will allow for shoreline nuisance aquatic vegetation control.
The lake will remain open to fishing during the drawdown, the FWC said.
Bear Lake is a 107-acre artificial impoundment constructed in 1959 and opened to fishing in 1961. The lake is designated as a fish management area.
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Bear Lake is in northeast Santa Rosa County within the Blackwater River State Forest, approximately two miles east of Munson on State Road 4.
For general waterbody information, fishing forecasts, virtual tours, plant control operation schedules and annual work plans, boat ramp information, and more, click here.
If you have additional questions, contact Chris Paxton at the Northwest Regional Office in Panama City: Christopher.Paxton@MyFWC.com or 850-265-3676.
