Clearwater Lake vs Upper Hay Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake and Upper Hay Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Clearwater Lake and Upper 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. The readings are close: Clearwater Lake and Upper Hay Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
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.
Upper Hay Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Upper Hay Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 13 ft Better | 10.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L Better | 20 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L Better | 4.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 54 ft Better | 42 ft |
| Surface Area | 905 acres | 596 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 Better | 13 |
| 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 Upper Hay Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clearwater Lake: 13 ft, Upper Hay Lake: 10.9 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clearwater Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.