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Frequently Asked Questions About Clark Lake, MN
- How big is Clark Lake?
- How deep is Clark Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in Clark Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the Clark Lake area?
- Are there places to eat and drink near Clark Lake?
- What is the average air temp for Clark Lake?
- Are there any state parks near Clark Lake?
How big is Clark Lake?
How deep is Clark Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in Clark Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish and White Sucker.
Are there places to stay in the Clark Lake area?
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Clark Lake area businesses:
Are there places to eat and drink near Clark Lake?
History & Status of the Fishery
Clark Lake is located approximately 12 miles NW of Ely and is entirely within the BWCAW. It has a surface area of 66 acres and a maximum depth of 41 feet. It has the best water clarity of the nearby lakes with a secchi disc reading of 12 feet. Most of the shoreline is slightly steep with pine covered hills and coarse soils. A larger bog area with black spruce is present surrounding the outet to Crab Lake.
Access is by portage from Crab Lake (140 rods), Meat Lake (48 rods) or Glimmer Lake (30 rods). There is one designated USFS campsite located on the lake.
Northern pike numbers in 2013 (11.7/gill net) were higher than average when compared to other area pike lakes in this class. The average pike sampled was 23.2 inches long and about 4 to 5 years old. The largest pike sampled was 36.7 inches long. Anglers should consider releasing pike over 24" on Clark Lake to help maintain the size quality of the pike fishery. Lakes with a high proportion of large pike are uncommon in this area as the lakes tend to be low in productivity. Pike in these lakes are slow growing, so even light harvest can remove most of the largest individuals from a population, and it takes a long time to replace them.
Largemouth bass numbers in 2013 (2.3/gill net) were higher than average when compared to other area largemouth lakes in this class. The average largemouth sampled was 9.3 inches long and about 5 years old. The largest bass sampled was 15.0 inches long.
Clark Lake had the most fish species diversity of the nearby smaller lakes. Several species of panfish including bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish and hybrid sunfish were sampled. White sucker and golden shiner were also sampled. Yellow perch remains were observed in pike stomach samples.
What is the average air temp for Clark Lake?
Are there any state parks near Clark Lake?
For more Minnesota State Park information see our State Park Guide.
More Nearby Lakes To Explore
There's more lake's to explore around Clark Lake...| DISTANCE | ACRES | MAX DEPTH | |
| Glimmer Lake | 0.4 mi | 17 | 7 ft |
| Meat Lake | 0.6 mi | 14 | 24 ft |
| Sprite Lake | 1.1 mi | 12 | 16 ft |
| Saca Lake | 1.1 mi | 77 | 18 ft |
| Battle Lake | 1.3 mi | 76 | 24 ft |
| Hassel Lake | 1.4 mi | 86 | 8 ft |
| Phantom Lake | 1.6 mi | 47 | 10 ft |
| Coo Lake | 1.8 mi | 19 | 25 ft |
| Crab Lake | 2.0 mi | 420 | 57 ft |
| Foss Lake | 2.1 mi | 36 | 6 ft |
