Clearwater Lake
Clearwater Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 29 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 461.73 acres.
- Clarity
- 29 ft
- Max depth
- 65 ft
- Area
- 462 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- No
Next lake in Cook County
Clearwater Lake is a 462-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 65 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Cook County, Clearwater Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. 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 29 ft down. Phosphorus level: 4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 29.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 29 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 4 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 29 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Clearwater Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Clearwater Lake in Cook 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 Clearwater Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 65 ft |
| Surface Area | 462 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 8.1 mi |
| Public Access | No |
Fishing Clearwater 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
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-13 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| LKW | 10.67 | 3.59 lb |
| Walleye | 2.67 | 2.36 lb |
| White Sucker | 0.83 | 1.35 lb |
| Northern Pike | 0.67 | 5.49 lb |
| BUB | 0.33 | 1.53 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 0.17 | 1.44 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.
LKW
Walleye
White Sucker
Northern Pike
From the 2025-08-13 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Caribou Lake on August 13th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the only coldwater species present in this lake. During the summer, Lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Clearwater Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CaribouFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.139 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.04 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.01 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Clearwater Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN16-0139-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 44 lakes in Cook County
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Clearwater Lake
What is the water quality grade for Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 29 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 65 ft. Surface area: 461.73 acres.
Is Clearwater Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Clearwater Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater Lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake covers 461.73 acres.
Explore Clearwater Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Cook County · Grade A
Cook County · Grade A
Cook County · Grade A
Cook County · Grade A
Cook County · Grade A
Cook County · Grade A
Where this data comes from
215 measurements from 7 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA215 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (7)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder