Clearwater Lake vs Sawbill Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Sawbill Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Cook County, Minnesota.
Clearwater Lake and Sawbill 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. Clearwater Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Sawbill Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Clearwater Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Clearwater Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 30 ft down.
Sawbill Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.8 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Sawbill Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 30 ft | 6.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | 4 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 65 ft | 45 ft |
| Surface Area | 461.73 acres | 833.89 acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Clearwater Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Sawbill Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 30 ft vs 6.8 ft. For more fish-species variety, Sawbill Lake edges ahead with 1 documented species.