Clear Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota140 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Clear Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Clear Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 140.4 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2017 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Clear Lake. DNR survey details →
Clear Lake is a 140-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Clear Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Clear Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.9 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
- Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Clear Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Clear Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Clear Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 14.9 ft down. Phosphorus 10.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.3 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Clear Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Clear Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 40 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Clear Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2017 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Clear Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clear Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-08-14 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2017-08-14 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 27.66 | 5–10 in 2017-08-14 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 12.29 | 3–8 in 2017-08-14 | 0.12 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.77 | 4–8 in 2017-08-14 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.74 | 18–26 in 2017-08-14 | 2.91 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.64 | 13–19 in 2017-08-14 | 2.15 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.15 | 5–9 in 2017-08-14 | 0.31 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Northern Pike
From the 2017-08-14 survey
Clear Lake is a 132-acre lake located in northwest Itasca County one mile north of Wirt, MN. An Itasca County administered access is located off County Road 31 on the eastern shore with parking for two vehicles along the shoulder of the road. Clear Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet and 39% of the lake is 15 feet or…
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
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Clear (0682)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ClearPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
30 ft
Surface area
140 acres
Shoreline
3.4 mi
Littoral zone
36%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,335 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Clear LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Clear Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Clear Lake in Itasca 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Clear Lake
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Follow Clear Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Clear Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 16
Earliest Apr 5, 2021 · Latest May 3, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 13
Earliest Nov 2, 2017 · Latest Dec 5, 2016
Most recent ice-out
Apr 5
2021
11 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Clear Lake
Where is Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 140.4 acres.
Is Clear Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 40 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 140.4 acres.
What fish are in Clear Lake?
- Fish species found in Clear Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Clear Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Clear Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2017 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Clear Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clear Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Clear Lake thaw?
- Clear Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16. Ice typically forms around Nov 13. The open water season is approximately 211 days.
Are there boat ramps on Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Clear Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Clear Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate