Clear Lake vs Forest Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Forest Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Clear Lake. Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
Both Clear Lake and Forest Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Clear Lake versus Forest Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft.
Forest Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clear Lake | Forest Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 6.2 ft Better | 5.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 33 µg/L | 28 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.9 µg/L Better | 16.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 28 ft | 37 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 429 acres | 2,271 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 14 | 18 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | 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 Forest Lake. Water clarity: 6.2 ft vs 5.1 ft. For more fish-species variety, Forest Lake edges ahead with 18 documented species.
Stays via Stay22
Where to stay near Clear Lake and Forest Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Clear Lake and Forest 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 Forest Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.