Clearwater Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota132 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Clearwater Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 16 ft max depth
- Limited data
Clearwater Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 131.59 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 1983 caught 24.50 northern pike per gill net at Clearwater Lake. DNR survey details →
Clearwater Lake is a 132-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 16 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Clearwater Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Clearwater 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 Clearwater Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Clearwater Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Clearwater Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 1983 caught 24.50 northern pike per gill net at Clearwater Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clearwater Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1983-07-25 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1983-07-25 (Standard Survey)
43 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 67.88 | 0.21 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 15.75 | 0.18 lb | |
| Brown Bullhead | 12.75 | 0.28 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 12.63 | 1.21 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.13 | 0.22 lb | |
| Bowfin | 0.63 | 4.16 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.
From the 1983-07-25 survey
VERY HIGH BULLHEAD, NORTHERN PIKE AND PERCH POPULATIONS. FISH SPECIES COMPOSITION IS INDICA- TIVE OF A WINTERKILL LAKE.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Clearwater Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ClearwaterFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Clearwater (0572)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Surface area
132 acres
Shoreline
1.9 mi
Littoral zone
95%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,289 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Clearwater Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Clearwater 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 Clearwater Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Clearwater Lake’s readings
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Fishing Clearwater Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Mar 22, 2012 · Latest May 10, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 21
Earliest Nov 3, 2017 · Latest Dec 6, 2016
Most recent ice-out
Apr 5
2024
76 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Clearwater Lake
Where is Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater 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 Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 131.59 acres.
Is Clearwater Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Clearwater Lake?
- Clearwater Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 131.59 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Clearwater Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 1983 caught 24.50 northern pike per gill net at Clearwater Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clearwater Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Clearwater Lake thaw?
- Clearwater Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 21. The open water season is approximately 218 days.
Can I fish at Clearwater Lake?
- Public access to Clearwater 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 Clearwater Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate