Clearwater Lake vs Gunflint Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake and Gunflint Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Cook County, Minnesota.
A
Clearwater Lake
Cook County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 30 ft down.
A
Gunflint Lake
Cook County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Gunflint Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 30 ft | 20 ft |
| Phosphorus | 4 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 65 ft | 200 ft |
| Surface Area | 461.73 acres | 4.0K acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 12 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clearwater Lake: 30 ft, Gunflint Lake: 20 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clearwater Lake has fewer fish species than Gunflint Lake.