Big Bear Lake among top 10 lakes in the nation by USA Today
McKenna Mobley- Big Bear Lake is nominated for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 'Best Lake' and 'Best Lake for Watersports'.
- The lake offers various watersports, boat tours, and easy access for boat owners.
- Voting is open until June 2, with winners announced on June 11.
Big Bear Lake is on the slate for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 'Best Lake' and 'Best Lake for Watersports' in the United States.
Big Bear Lake finished in 6th place out of 10 last year for best lake, and 7th for best lake for watersports.
The Lake is the grand centerpiece of Southern California’s only four-season mountain resort.
It stretches seven miles long and one mile across at its widest point. With a maximum depth of 72 feet, the sparkling freshwater lake boasts more than 22 miles of accessible shoreline.
Big Bear experienced an unprecedented amount of notoriety this year, as bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow welcomed three new chicks, only two of which survived. Updated progress on the eaglets can be tracked live via the bigbeareagle.cam.
“Whether Big Bear Lake is voted as America’s No. 1 lake or not, we’re incredibly honored that USA Today’s expert panel has acknowledged our beautiful freshwater jewel as one of the best in the nation,” said Visit Big Bear CEO Travis Scott. “It’s a huge compliment to be right alongside nationally recognized treasures such as Lake Superior, Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, and Lake Tahoe.”
Voting for which U.S. lake is the best is available now until Monday, June 2; the winners will be announced on Wednesday, June 11. Vote online at 10best.usatoday.com.
How does USA Today choose the Best 10 contestants?
Big Bear Lake’s nomination was chosen by a panel of experts, which includes a combination of editors from USA Today, editors from 10Best.com, and relevant expert contributors, before being voted on by the public online.
It's up to the readers to help crown their favorite lake the best in the nation.
Big Bear Lake is up against some stiff competition, which includes nationally recognized lakes in New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Idaho.
Big Bear Lake offers countless activities
Big Bear Lake offers just about every freshwater aquatic sport, including:
- Fishing
- Jet skiing
- Wakeboarding
- Water skiing
- Tubing
- Wake surfing
- Stand-up paddle-boarding
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
The Big Bear Pirate Ship, Big Bear Cruiser, Miss Liberty paddlewheel boat, and Big Bear Queen offer fun tours around the lake.
Big Bear Lake also has two public boat launch ramps providing easy access for boat owners, and six full-service marinas that provide a wide range of services, such as boat launching, watercraft rentals, fishing charters, dock rentals, fuel, snacks, and boat repair.
Hotels in Big Bear Lake
There are plenty of places to stay in Big Bear Lake, from hotels and mountain resort lodges to Airbnb and VRBO rentals.
Airbnbs in Big Bear are more popular than ever, with prices starting at $86 per night.
Affordable hotels like the Holiday Inn and Vintage Lakeside Inn start around $80 per night. Accommodations fill to capacity quickly, especially during peak ski and snowboarding season. Book as early as possible to secure a room during winter.
McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@gannett.com.