Clearwater Lake

How big is Clearwater Lake?

How deep is Clearwater Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Clearwater Lake?

Are there boat launches on Clearwater Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Clearwater Lake?

Clearwater Lake is a classic deep, cold, Canadian Shield lake trout lake, and is managed for lake trout and smallmouth bass. The long range goal for lake trout is to maintain a population with a gill net catch of at least 2.0 fish/set. The goal for smallmouth bass is to maintain a population where at least 25% of smallmouth bass taken by angling in June are over 11 inches in length. This was to have been the second of three surveys scheduled in the 2010 lake management plan (LMP) to help monitor the lake trout population and determine whether it showed any signs of overharvest or recruitment failure. The first survey (in 2011) was canceled due to a lack of staff and funding. In addition to this assessment, other survey work on Clearwater Lake in 2014 included nearshore fish community sampling for development of an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), a June angling assessment, a winter creel survey (January-March 2014) and a summer creel survey (May-September 2014).

Temperature-oxygen conditions were ideal for lake trout (temperature < 55 F, oxygen > 5 ppm) at depths of 29 to over 95 ft on 21 July 2014. Surface waters were cool as well, not exceeding 70 F.

Lake trout were fairly abundant in 2014, and, although most were under 20 inches in length, a few much larger fish were also present. The lake trout gill net catch exceeded the long range goal established in the 2010 LMP. Lake trout gill net catches have been stable in this lake since 1984, and did not decline when lake trout stocking was discontinued after 1993. Mean weights for lake trout collected in gill nets have varied more than catches, but the mean for fish taken in 2014 was similar to most observed in this lake since 1974. Nine year classes, all naturally produced, contributed to the 2014 lake trout catch, which included fish as old as 18 years. It appeared that fairly strong year classes had been produced in 2009 and 2007. Lake trout growth rates had been close to average. Five-year-old fish reached a mean length of 14.4 inches by the end of their fifth year. The presence of a strong cisco forage base gave this lake the potential to produce some trophy lake trout, and fish as large as 34 inches were collected in 2014. The 2014 assessment did not reveal any signs of lake trout overharvest or recruitment failure in Clearwater Lake.

Clearwater Lake has a reputation for producing large numbers of small smallmouth bass for anglers. Smallmouth bass gill net and trap net catches in 2014 were low, but were similar to catches seen in this lake in the past. Smallmouth bass are more abundant in this lake than net catches would indicate. Most gill net sets have been in deep waters, and effective trap netting is difficult in this lake due to uneven substrates and steep bottom contours near shore. Angling by a DNR crew in late June 2014 yielded a total catch of 61 fish, with 33 percent of fish taken larger than 11 inches.

Cisco are abundant in Clearwater Lake, and could provide some good fishing for anglers targeting them. The combined 2014 catch of cisco in gill net sets was similar to catches seen in this lake since 1991. The summer of 2014 was cool, and cisco were found throughout the water column in July. The catch in shallow gill net sets was higher than the catch seen in deep sets.

Yellow perch were also fairly abundant in 2014, and some fish as large as 12 inches were present. The yellow perch gill net catch was the highest seen in this lake since 1955; catches have increased in each assessment done since 1991. Few anglers target yellow perch in this lake, but it provides an opportunity for some good perch fishing on the right day.

White sucker and burbot gill net catches were similar to catches observed in past assessments. Neither species appeared to have been abundant. No walleye or northern pike were found in 2014. Walleye were last seen in this lake in 1984, and no northern pike have ever been taken in DNR assessments.

Several lakes in the vicinity of Clearwater Lake are infested with spiny waterflea, and at least one angler has reported their presence in Clearwater Lake. Vertical plankton tows at ten locations in Clearwater Lake in 2014 did not find any spiny waterflea. Similar sampling, with the same results, was done in 2005 by the U.S. Forest Service, and in 2007 and 2012 by DNR Fisheries crews. To avoid infesting this lake, anglers should be careful to drain, clean, and dry their equipment before launching in Clearwater Lake.

Are there any state parks near Clearwater Lake?