Clear Lake

How big is Clear Lake?

How deep is Clear Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Clear Lake?

Are there boat launches on Clear Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Clear Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Clear Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Clear Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

Clear Lake is located in Glen Township in Aitkin County. There is state owned land including a swimming area and a public access with a concrete log ramp on the east side of the lake. The lake is popular for residents and visitors for its clear water, sandy shorelines, and variety of angling opportunities.

Walleye are the primary management species and various stocking strategies, primarily as fingerlings, have been used since the 40's. Most recently after 6 years of annual Walleye fry stocking, no surviving age-0 Walleye were observed in annual fall electrofishing surveys. During that time period fingerlings were stocked to supplement the fishery when fry were known not to have survived. It's unclear what factors were limiting stocked fry survival. Currently Walleye fingerlings are being stocked annually at 0.5/lb per littoral acre. Historically, fingerlings stocked at a high rate have not performed better than at lower rates. It's thought that the lower stocking level may also relieve pressure on Yellow Perch and result in higher survival for juvenile Walleye. The Walleye catch (1.2/gill net) showed a decrease yet remained within the normal range for similar lake types. The catch was below the goal of 3/net in the current management plan despite the intensive stocking strategy. While recent surveys have been between 1 and 2.9/net, prior assessments have ranged from 3.5 to 5.5/net.

Northern Pike catch (9.1/gill net) increased slightly since 2016 and is in the normal range for this lake class. Size distribution in gill nets ranged from 10.4 to 35.3" with an average of 19.2" and 1.2 pounds, and 28% were greater than 24". Large pike play an important role in lakes and anglers are encouraged to release fish greater than 26" to maximize their benefit.

Largemouth Bass continue to be found in good numbers with a gill net catch of 4.4/gill net. The bass population has shown an increasing trend over time in gill net catches. Bass from gill nets ranged from 6.8 to 16.1", with an average of 10.1" and 0.6 pounds. Spring night time electrofishing was also done in 2019. Sixty Largemouth Bass were caught which translated to a catch rate of 31.3/hr. Size of bass from electrofishing ranged from 7.4 to 20.3" with a mean size of 11.8".

The Bluegill catch (48.7/trap net) showed a slight increase compared to 2014. Sizes ranged from 3.5 to 8.1" and averaged 6.5". Few Bluegill greater than 8" were sampled, which is similar to previous surveys of this lake. Black Crappie gill net (1.9/net) and trap net (1.1/net) catches remained within the normal range for the lake class. Sizes combined from both gears averaged 8.3", with 33 percent greater than 10" and fish up to 11.8" sampled.

What is the average air temp for Clear Lake?

Are there any state parks near Clear Lake?