This page covers an area with several subdivisions around Bear Lake, including Bear Lake Estates, Bear Lake Woods and Bear Lake Hills. Homes carry Apopka addresses (32703) but sit in unincorporated Seminole County. Homes.com showed an area median sale of about $381,500 on November 11, 2026, with lake-access homes listed in the $600,000s and higher. The information available is thin, so verify details property by property.
Where it is
Bear Lake is east of Apopka near the Orange and Seminole county line, off Bear Lake Road north of SR 436. The lake and the named subdivisions are in Seminole County; streets immediately to the west fall in Orange County. One listing portal maps the neighborhood under Forest City.
The Seminole County Water Atlas describes Bear Lake as about 310 acres, used for boating, water-skiing and fishing.
Homes and prices
Most homes date from the 1960s to the 1980s, and Bear Lake Hills is essentially all 1960s. Condos and townhomes exist in the wider mapped area.
| Subdivision | What sources report |
|---|---|
| Bear Lake Estates | About 110 homes, 25 of them lakefront; about 1,500 to over 6,300 sq ft; median about $428,000 |
| Bear Lake Woods | About 50 homes; 1,817 to 3,690 sq ft; one listing at $525,000; HOA about $35 to $40 a month |
| Bear Lake Hills | Essentially all 1960s construction; much of it has no mandatory HOA |
| Whole mapped area | Median sale about $381,500; single-family median about $418,000 (Homes.com, November 11, 2026) |
The $381,500 figure is a median for the whole mapped area, not a floor. Lakefront and lake-access homes sell on a different scale from interior lots.
HOA, CDD and running costs
There is no single association. Bear Lake Woods is listing-reported at about $35 to $40 a month. Much of Bear Lake Hills and many individual lots have no mandatory HOA. One guide mentions a Bear Lake Clubhouse access point; its membership terms were not verified. CDD status is not verified.
Property taxes here are Seminole County's. The Orange County and City of Apopka millage figures elsewhere on this site do not apply, and the site's property tax estimator does not cover Seminole County, so get the millage and the bill from the Seminole County records for the parcel. The mortgage calculator shows principal and interest the same way in either county, but its tax line uses Orange County rates, so replace that line with the Seminole County figure.
Zoned schools
The Bear Lake subdivisions are served by Seminole County Public Schools, not Orange County Public Schools. One guide reports Bear Lake Elementary, Teague Middle and Lake Brantley High. That is guide-reported and unverified, so confirm the address with Seminole County Public Schools. The OCPS lookup applies only to the Orange County streets west of the lake.
Getting around
SR 436 (Semoran Boulevard), just south of the lake, is the toll-free route east to Altamonte Springs and I-4 and west into Apopka. SunRail's nearest station is Altamonte Springs. Check your own drive in the commute times tool.
What to check before you buy here
- Confirm the county on the parcel record. An Apopka mailing address here usually means Seminole County schools, taxes and services.
- Establish lake access in writing. It is not uniform; it depends on the lot or subdivision.
- Ask whether the home is on sewer or septic. This was not verified for the area and should be checked per property.
- For lakefront and near-lake lots, look up the flood zone on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and price flood insurance.
- With 1960s-to-1980s construction, get the roof age, plumbing and electrical details and an insurance quote early. See the insurance and inspections guide.
- Ask whether an HOA or deed restrictions apply to the specific lot.
Questions about Bear Lake
Is Bear Lake in Orange County or Seminole County?
The lake and the named subdivisions around it are in unincorporated Seminole County, even though they use Apopka mailing addresses. Streets immediately west of the lake fall in Orange County.
How big is Bear Lake?
About 310 acres, according to the Seminole County Water Atlas. It is used for boating, water-skiing and fishing.
Do Bear Lake homes have an HOA?
It depends on the lot. Bear Lake Woods is listing-reported at about $35 to $40 a month, while much of Bear Lake Hills and many individual lots have no mandatory HOA.
How much do homes cost around Bear Lake?
Homes.com showed an area median sale of about $381,500 and a single-family median of about $418,000 on November 11, 2026. Lake-access homes were listed in the $600,000s and higher.
Robert Moore of Moore Realty Group can confirm the county, the lake-access rights and the sewer or septic status for a specific Bear Lake address.
Sources: Homes.com (Bear Lake neighborhood), Seminole County Water Atlas, FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Subdivision home counts, sizes and HOA figures are from brokerage subdivision pages observed November 2026. Checked November 2026.
