Clearwater Lake vs Lower Hay Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake and Lower Hay Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Clearwater Lake and Lower Hay 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 Lower Hay 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.
Lower Hay Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18.5 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Lower Hay Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 13 ft | 18.5 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L Better | 13 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L | 2.7 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 54 ft | 100 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 905 acres | 700 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 21 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
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 Lower Hay Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clearwater Lake: 13 ft, Lower Hay Lake: 18.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clearwater Lake has fewer fish species than Lower Hay Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.