Clear Lake
Washington County, Minnesota42 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Clear Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 27 ft max depth
- Limited data
Clear Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 41.72 acres.
Clear Lake is a 42-acre mesotrophic lake in Washington County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet (5-foot average). Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and green sunfish. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 74 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Clear Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Clear Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 20
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.
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. Phosphorus 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Clear Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Clear Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 65°F) and coldest in Apr (about 46°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (46°F) to its warmest (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 170 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Average depth
5 ft
Surface area
42 acres
Shoreline
1.3 mi
Littoral zone
70%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Clear Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.75 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 20
Earliest Mar 19, 2012 · Latest Apr 4, 2009
Most recent ice-out
Mar 19
2012
5 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Clear Lake
Where is Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake is a lake in Washington 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 Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 41.72 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 56°F at the surface in October, from 170 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Clear Lake?
- Clear Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 41.72 acres.
What fish are in Clear Lake?
- Fish species found in Clear Lake include black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike. Clear Lake is located in Washington County, Minnesota.
When does Clear Lake thaw?
- Clear Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 20.
Can I fish at Clear Lake?
- Public access to Clear Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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
48 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA48 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate