Cleary Lake
Scott County, Minnesota145 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Cleary Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 9 ft max depth
- Public access
Cleary Lake in Scott County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 186.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 144.75 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 2017 caught 8.50 largemouth bass per gill net at Cleary Lake. DNR survey details →
Cleary Lake is a 145-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Scott County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 9 feet (5-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Scott County, Cleary Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Cleary Lake covers about 140 acres in Scott County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 4, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Cleary Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Cleary Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cleary Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cleary 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 Cleary Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Cleary Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 186.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 61.1 µg/L. TSI 72.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 187µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 61.1µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 72 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Cleary Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Cleary Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Feb (about 34°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (34°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 454 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cleary Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 2017 caught 8.50 largemouth bass per gill net at Cleary Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Cleary Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-08-08 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2017-08-08 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 63.34 | 2–8 in 2017-08-08 | 0.12 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 55.50 | 4–6 in 2017-08-08 | 0.11 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 33.78 | 5–8 in 2017-08-08 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 33.73 | 6–9 in 2017-08-08 | 0.61 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 27.10 | 2 in 2012-09-24 | |
| Walleye | 8.71 | 10–16 in 1999-07-26 | 1.19 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.
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
Green Sunfish
Golden Shiner
Black Bullhead
From the 2017-08-08 survey
Cleary Lake is a shallow, productive 149-acre lake located near Prior Lake, Scott County. The lake is located entirely within Cleary Lake Regional Park, operated by the Three Rivers Park District. There is a boat launch; however only electric motors are allowed. The lake is managed for Bluegill and for Largemouth…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cleary Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ClearyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ClearyFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ClearyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
9 ft
Average depth
5 ft
Surface area
145 acres
Shoreline
3.8 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
938 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Cleary LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Cleary Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cleary Lake in Scott 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Cleary Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Cleary Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Cleary Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+47.59 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+12.49 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Mar 14, 2016 · Latest Apr 29, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Apr 29
2018
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Cleary Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN70-0022-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Scott County
Frequently asked questions about Cleary Lake
Where is Cleary Lake?
- Cleary Lake is a lake in Scott County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cleary Lake?
- Cleary Lake in Scott County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 186.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 144.75 acres.
Is Cleary Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cleary Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Cleary Lake?
- Cleary Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 454 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Cleary Lake?
- Cleary Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 144.75 acres.
What fish are in Cleary Lake?
- Fish species found in Cleary Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed. Cleary Lake is located in Scott County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Cleary Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 2017 caught 8.50 largemouth bass per gill net at Cleary Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Cleary Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Cleary Lake thaw?
- Cleary Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4.
Are there boat ramps on Cleary Lake?
- Cleary Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cleary Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Cleary Lake?
- Cleary Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 Cleary Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Scott County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
192 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA192 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate