Clearwater Lake vs Tom Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Tom Lake. Both are in Cook County, Minnesota.
Clearwater Lake and Tom 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. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Clearwater Lake versus Tom 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
Crystal clear, you can see 29 ft down.
Tom Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Tom Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 29 ft Better | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 4 µg/L Better | 8 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.3 µg/L Better | 4.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 65 ft Better | 35 ft |
| Surface Area | 462 acres | 404 acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 5 Better |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | 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.
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Verdict
Clearwater Lake and Tom Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clearwater Lake: 29 ft, Tom Lake: 9 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clearwater Lake has fewer fish species than Tom Lake.
Stays via Stay22
Where to stay near Clearwater Lake and Tom Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Clearwater Lake and Tom 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 Clearwater Lake and Tom Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.