Clear Lake
Clear Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 225.91 acres.
- Clarity
- 18 ft
- Typical in August
- 61°F
- Max depth
- 63 ft
- Area
- 226 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Clear Lake is a 226-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 63 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Clear Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. Phosphorus level: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 36.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 18 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 8 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 36 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Clear Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Clear Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
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Water Temperature
Clear Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 64 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Clear Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 63 ft |
| Surface Area | 226 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.5 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 26% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Grass LakePublic
- Clear LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Clear Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-06-12 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 26.63 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 24.16 | — |
| BKF | 18.21 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.33 | 0.69 lb |
| JND | 8.79 | — |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 8.10 | 0.41 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2023-06-12 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Clear Lake was conducted on June 12-14, 2023, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Clear Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ClearFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ClearFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ClearPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.061 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.5 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.2 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Clear Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0361-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.22 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #12 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Clear Lake
What is the water quality grade for Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 63 ft. Surface area: 225.91 acres.
Is Clear Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Clear Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in August, from 64 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake has a maximum depth of 63 feet. The lake covers 225.91 acres.
What fish are in Clear Lake?
- Fish species found in Clear Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Clear Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Grass Lake, Clear Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
86 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA86 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory