Big Bear Lake sits 7 feet below full pool as snowmelt season approaches

Big Bear Lake is currently sitting 7 feet, 1 inch below full pool, according to a report delivered at the Big Bear Municipal Water District's February 19 board meeting. General Manager Jared Cheek told the board that conditions are closely mirroring last year — on February 10, 2025, the lake stood 7 feet, 4 inches below full pool[1]. Whether the lake climbs closer to capacity before summer recreation season kicks off will hinge almost entirely on snowpack runoff in the coming months[1].

The roughly 3-inch improvement over last year's comparable reading offers a modest reason for optimism, but the margin is slim. How local marinas, boat rental operators, and other water-dependent businesses will be affected this season remains to be seen — Big Bear News could not confirm an independent snowpack or snowmelt outlook from the California Department of Water Resources or a local hydrologist by publication time.

In other business from the meeting, Lake Operations Manager Drew Pappas attended Big Bear Mountain Mutual Aid meetings with community and government stakeholders to coordinate emergency response efforts[1]. District staff also held virtual meetings with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on the invasive Golden Mussel, reviewing state tracking tools and updates to annual prevention plans[1].

The District's Board seat vacancy for District 2 was still open as of the meeting, with one application received. The application window was set to close at end of day February 27, 2026[1].

The next BBMWD board meeting is scheduled for March 5, 2026, at 1:00 PM at 40524 Lakeview Drive, Big Bear Lake. Residents interested in lake conditions or district business are welcome to attend.