Clearwater Lake

Clearwater Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI near 45 places Clearwater Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. Clearwater Lake reaches 16 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake's 132 acres and 1.9 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Clearwater Lake sits at rank 103 of 141 in Itasca County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Clearwater Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Clearwater Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Clearwater Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. Ice-out has been logged at Clearwater Lake more than two dozen times, putting the median around Apr 17 — a useful baseline for tracking climate trends. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.