Clearwater Lake vs Emily Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Emily Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Both Clearwater Lake and Emily Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are meaningfully apart: Clearwater Lake grades a A while Emily Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
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
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft.
Emily Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Emily Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 13 ft | 3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L | 53 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L | 30 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 54 ft | 13 ft |
| Surface Area | 905 acres | 721 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 13 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
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 Emily Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 13 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Clearwater Lake also leads with 16 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.