Clara Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Clara Lake grades a B, with clarity at 7.6 ft and 15 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Minnesota median. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

A TSI near 46 places Clara Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake bottoms out at 15 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. Clara Lake covers 388 acres alongside 4.7 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Among the 128 graded lakes in Cook County, Clara Lake sits at rank 55, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Clara Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Clara Lake, one of 6 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Clara Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.