Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest October 7, 2025
Species recorded at Clearwater Lake
17 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Clearwater Lake
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.
Getting on the water
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 1.62 walleye per gill net at Clearwater Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–12 inches.
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 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
22 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-07 (Targeted Survey).
22 surveys on file · most recent 2025-10-07 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.51 | 3–9 in 2025-07-28 | 0.16 lb |
| Walleye | 13.28 | 7–12 in 2025-10-07 | 1.76 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.85 | 8–16 in 2025-07-28 | 1.07 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 10.04 | 5–13 in 2025-07-28 | 0.68 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 7.78 |
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.
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.
Bluegill
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-10-07 survey
The Walleye population in Clearwater Lake has been sustained through fry stocking since 1998, with annual fry stocking conducted from 2014 through 2019. While fry stocking has been regularly implemented, fall electrofishing results have only exceeded the target catch rate of 25 young-of-year (YOY) Walleye per hour…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Clearwater Lake. 4 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 (2009)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ClearwaterFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ClearwaterPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Clearwater Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 1.62 walleye per gill net at Clearwater Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–12 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 17 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Clearwater Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Clearwater Lake is dated October 7, 2025. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Clearwater Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Clearwater Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Clearwater Lake fishes?
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 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Clearwater Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Clearwater Lake
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