Clark Lake vs Clearwater Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Clark Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Lake County, Minnesota.
Both Clark Lake and Clearwater Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. Clearwater Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Clark Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Clearwater Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Clark Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.8 ft.
Clearwater Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clark Lake | Clearwater Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 6.8 ft | 18 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 25 ft | 46 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.2K acres | 640.18 acres |
| Public Access | No | No |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Clearwater Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Clark Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 18 ft vs 6.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Clearwater Lake also leads with 0 species.