Clearwater Lake vs Horseshoe Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake and Horseshoe Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Clearwater Lake and Horseshoe 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 the readings, Clearwater Lake versus Horseshoe 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 13 ft.
Horseshoe Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Horseshoe Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 13 ft | 14.4 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L | 11 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L | 3.5 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 54 ft | 56 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 905 acres | 922 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 Better | 11 |
| 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 Horseshoe Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clearwater Lake: 13 ft, Horseshoe Lake: 14.4 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clearwater Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.