Bear Lake (Idaho-Utah)
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Bear Lake is a large natural lake, approximately 109 sq mi (282 km²) in size, that straddles the Idaho-Utah border in the western United States. Approximately 20 mi (32 km) long and 7 mi (13 km) wide, it sits at an elevation of 5,924 ft (1,806 m) along the northeast side of the Wasatch Range and on the east side of the Bear River Mountains. It is 208 ft (63 m) deep. Its water is used for irrigation in the nearby Bear Valley in southeast Idaho, draining into the Bear River through the short Bear River Outlet completed in 1915.
The climate in the valley is warm and dry during the summer, with first snowfall coming during fall. Fog and snow are common during the winter. The lake is icebound during winter and most of spring.
The lake is often noted for its deep blue color and is a popular summer tourist destination and holds some of the best beaches in the intermountain west. The lake has many marinas, beaches, and two quaint tourist towns known as Garden City and Laketown. Bear Lake Valley is noted for its raspberries.