Clear Lake vs Cranberry Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clear Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Cranberry Lake. Both are in Oneida County, Wisconsin.
Clear Lake and Cranberry Lake are both in Wisconsin — 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 Cranberry 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
No clarity data.
Cranberry Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clear Lake | Cranberry Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | No data | 4.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 10.8 µg/L Better | 30.8 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 95 ft Better | 23 ft |
| Surface Area | 873 acres | 924 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 6 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
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 reads lower on nutrients and algae than Cranberry Lake. For fishing diversity, Clear Lake also leads with 6 species.
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Where to stay near Clear Lake and Cranberry Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Clear Lake and Cranberry 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Clear Lake and Cranberry Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.