Clear Lake
Polk County, Wisconsin30 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Clear Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 26 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Clear Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 30 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Clear Lake. DNR survey details →
Clear Lake is a 30-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Polk County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 54 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Clear Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2020-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Clear Lake covers about 30 acres in Polk County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Clear Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Clear Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
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 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 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 Wisconsin DNR 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 15.5 ft down. Phosphorus 13.9 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| 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.
Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Clear Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clear Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2020).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
30 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Recreation & Access
- Clear Lake ParkPublic
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 Polk County, Wisconsin — 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
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
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
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+4.25 µg/L/yr2 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Clear Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Friendshuh Farms LlcBlack Brook, Town Of · 1.9 mi away · NPDES WI0066052
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Clear Lake
Where is Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake is a lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 30 acres.
Is Clear Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 30 acres.
What fish are in Clear Lake?
- Fish species found in Clear Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Clear Lake is located in Polk County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Clear Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Panfish as abundant on Clear Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clear Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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 Park. 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 Wisconsin'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
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX6 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory