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The Bear Lake handbook

Living in Bear Lake, IN: what to set up and who to call

All of Bear Lake gets its mail under one ZIP code, 46701. The closest ER is Parkview Whitley Hospital, 12.4 miles away.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes

I’m new in town

What to set up in Bear Lake, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerIndiana Michigan Powerinvestor-owned utility · 17.2¢/kWhMore →Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bear Lake’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolCentral Noble Community School CorporationWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP code46701Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Bear Lake.

Electricity

Power comes from Indiana Michigan Power

Indiana Michigan Power (Indiana Michigan Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Bear Lake. Its homes paid an average of 17.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $146 a month (its average across Indiana).

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

6 home internet providers serve Bear Lake

100% of 135 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
LigTel CommunicationsFiber100%8,000/8,000
BrightspeedFiber79%2,000/2,000
Mercury FiberFixed wireless97%150/20
VerizonFixed wireless92%300/20
T-MobileFixed wireless86%100/20
AT&TFixed wireless6%25/3

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Bear Lake’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Bear Lake.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileBear Lake has no town government of its own, so look for trash and recycling rules on the county’s site.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Bear Lake kids go to
K–2Central Noble Primary Schoolin Wolf Lake
3–5Central Noble Elementary Schoolin Albion
6–12Central Noble Junior Senior HSin Albion

Bear Lake is in Central Noble Community School Corporation.

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

No town hall: the county runs things

Bear Lake is unincorporated, so the county is the local government.

Local governmentThe countyBear Lake is a census-designated place: no town hall of its ownCensus
Who runs elections hereNoble County Clerk's OfficeElections here are run by Noble County (county election office). 101 N Orange St, Albion, IN 46701-1092 · (260) 636-2736 · [email protected]FVAP, Sep 2025
Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govCheck your registration and polling placeindianavoters.in.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Bear Lake is in ZIP code 46701

ZIP codes where Bear Lake residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of Bear LakeZIP’s residents in Bear Lake
46701Albion, IN100%3%

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomParkview Whitley Hospital12.4 miles awayGet a library cardNoble County Public Library813 East Main Street · (260) 636-7197

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Bear Lake

Who provides electricity in Bear Lake?

Indiana Michigan Power (Indiana Michigan Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Bear Lake?

LigTel Communications, Brightspeed, Mercury Fiber, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Bear Lake?

46701. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Bear Lake in?

Central Noble Community School Corporation.

How do I register to vote in Bear Lake?

In Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before). Elections here are run by the Noble County Clerk's Office. Check your registration at indianavoters.in.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.