Clearwater Lake vs Upper Maple Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Upper Maple Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Clearwater Lake. Both are in Wright County, Minnesota.
Both Clearwater Lake and Upper Maple 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 Upper Maple 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.
Upper Maple Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 17.2 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Clearwater Lake | Upper Maple Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 9.8 ft | 17.2 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 22 µg/L | 17 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.3 µg/L | 3.6 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 73 ft | 76 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 3,187 acres | 633 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 Better | 15 |
| 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 Upper Maple Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Clearwater Lake: 9.8 ft, Upper Maple Lake: 17.2 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 Upper Maple Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Clearwater Lake and Upper Maple 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.