Clearwater Lake vs Sugar Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sugar Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Clearwater Lake. Both are in Wright County, Minnesota.
Both Clearwater Lake and Sugar Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. The readings are close: Clearwater Lake and Sugar 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
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft.
Sugar Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.5 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Sugar Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 9.8 ft | 16.5 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 22 µg/L | 14 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.3 µg/L | 3.3 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 73 ft Better | 69 ft |
| Surface Area | 3,187 acres | 1,014 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 Better | 16 |
| 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.
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Verdict
Clearwater Lake and Sugar Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clearwater Lake: 9.8 ft, Sugar Lake: 16.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Clearwater Lake supports more documented fish species.
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Where to stay near Clearwater Lake and Sugar Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Clearwater Lake and Sugar Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.