Clearwater Lake vs East Sylvia Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Clearwater Lake and East Sylvia Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Wright County, Minnesota.
Clearwater Lake and East Sylvia 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 East Sylvia 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
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft.
East Sylvia Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 21 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | East Sylvia Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 9.8 ft | 21 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 22 µg/L | 8 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.3 µg/L | 2.2 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 73 ft | 78 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 3,187 acres | 669 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 17 Better | 14 |
| 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 East Sylvia Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clearwater Lake: 9.8 ft, East Sylvia Lake: 21 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clearwater Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.