Clearwater Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Clearwater Lake pulls an A: clarity at 13.1 ft and 12 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Minnesota. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI near 40 places Clearwater Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Clearwater Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 54 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. The lake's 905 acres and 8.5 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Among the 120 graded lakes in Crow Wing County, Clearwater Lake sits at rank 48, above the county median.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Clearwater Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. Walleye are documented at Clearwater Lake, one of 16 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been recorded 17 times at Clearwater Lake, with a median around Apr 12. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.