Clearwater Lake vs Pine Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake and Pine Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Clearwater County, Minnesota.
Both Clearwater Lake and Pine 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 the readings, Clearwater Lake versus Pine 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.
Clearwater Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft.
Pine Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Pine Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 10 ft | 10.2 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 16 µg/L Better | 20 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.2 µg/L Better | 4.4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 65 ft Better | 15 ft |
| Surface Area | 999 acres | 1,236 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 14 Better | 12 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
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.
Swap a lake
Compare Clearwater Lake or Pine Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clearwater Lake: 10 ft, Pine Lake: 10.2 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clearwater Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.