Minnesota · Sibley County
Clear Lake Fishing guide
Clear Lake sits in Sibley County, Minnesota, and covers 505 acres, reaching 8 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Clear Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. With 99% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 8-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Crappie
- Spring
- Crappie are up in the back bays and against wood in a few feet of water, spawning shallower than most people fish for them.
- Early summer
- Crappie are pulling off the bays to the first deep weed edge and brush, still reachable shallow at dusk.
- Summer
- Crappie are over the basin of a stratified lake, well off any structure, which is why summer netting barely catches them inshore. With 99% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Crappie are schooled along the deep weedline and the basin edge, pushing shallow to feed at dusk while the water still turns over slowly. A 8-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Yellow Perch | 2,145 yearlings · 798 adults |
| 2018 | Northern Pike | 124 adults |
| 2018 | Yellow Perch | 8,000 yearlings · 70 adults |
| 2017 | Northern Pike | 167 adults |
| 2016 | Black Crappie | 230 adults |
| 2016 | Northern Pike | 126 adults |
| 2016 | White Crappie | 26 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Clear is a moderate-sized lake (505 acres) located south of the Town of Gibbon, in Sibley County. A small-sized state-owned access, with a single cement boat ramp, is present on the north shore. A second boat ramp is available at the Sibley County Park on the lake's east shore. Multiple shore fishing spots are present at the county park. Clear has six miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of eight feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Clear is a class 43 lake and other similar lakes in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Swan and Winsted in McLeod County. A drawdown restoration project began at Clear Lake in 2024, continued through 2025 and the boards were put back into the outlet dam structure in mid-February 2026, to begin refilling the lake. The purpose of the restoration project was to reduce rough fish abundances, improve water quality and increase both submergent and emergent aquatic plant abundances. Nets were set in 2025 to evaluate winterkill severity. Thousands of dead Common Carp, Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Bullhead, Yellow Perch, White Sucker, Black Crappie and White Crappie were observed along Clear Lake's shoreline at ice-out 2025. Clear Lake suffered a severe winterkill of fish in 2025. Walleye fry and pre-spawn adult Yellow Perch are scheduled to be stocked in the spring of 2026.
The only species sampled in the three trap nets was Fathead Minnow, with moderate numbers of them (75) being captured.
Read the full DNR narrative
People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Over harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local DNR office. Additional information on all these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Clear Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Clear Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Clear Lake (E) (trailer launch)
- Clear Lake (N) (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Clear Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Clear Lake · 252 ac · 13.4 mi
- Sleepy Eye Lake · 241 ac · 14.8 mi
- Round Grove Lake · 296 ac · 17.7 mi
- Beatty Lake · 78 ac · 19.9 mi
- High Island Lake · 1,340 ac · 20.9 mi
- Hanska Lake · 1,795 ac · 22.2 mi
- Schilling Lake · 763 ac · 22.7 mi
- Preston Lake · 655 ac · 22.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Clear Lake?
Clear Lake reaches 8 ft at its deepest point; about 99% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Clear Lake?
Clear Lake covers 505 acres with about 6.4 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Clear Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Clear Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked yellow perch in 2019; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Clear Lake have a public access?
Yes. Clear Lake has 2 public access sites, including Clear Lake (E) (trailer launch).
When was Clear Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Clear Lake in 2025, the most recent of 5 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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