Clear Lake vs Round Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Round Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Clear Lake. Both are in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
Clear Lake and Round Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The readings are close: Clear Lake and Round Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Clear Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Round Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clear Lake | Round Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 15 ft Better | 14.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | 10 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.3 µg/L | 2.7 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 24 ft | 125 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 574 acres | 737 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 14 | 18 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Clear Lake and Round Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clear Lake: 15 ft, Round Lake: 14.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clear Lake has fewer fish species than Round Lake.
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Where to stay near Clear Lake and Round Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Clear Lake and Round Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.