We present the optical (V, R, and I) photometry for BL Lacertae, which was observed from 1997 through 1999, with the 1.56-m telescope at the Shanghai astronomical observatory (SHAO). After the 1997 outburst, it dimmed to a low state and then brightened again. During the period JD 2450701 to JD 2450701.5, variations of 0.40mag, 0.27mag, and 0.21mag over a time scale of 100min were found for V, R, and I bands, suggesting that the variations were decreasing with wavelength. The correlation between V, R, and I is also analyzed using the DCF (Discrete Correlation Function) method. This shows that the variability in the V, R, and I bands are correlated with no time delay longer than 0.2day.