Minnesota · Washington County
Clear Lake Fishing guide
Clear Lake is a 429-acre lake in Washington County, Minnesota, reaching 28 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 17 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers7.5per gill net15"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 100 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 45 fish
2024Lengths measured · 55 fish
2021Lengths measured · 21 fish
2018Lengths measured · 29 fish
2017Northern pikeFair numbers8.7per gill net21"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 103 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 38 fish
2024Lengths measured · 65 fish
2021Lengths measured · 39 fish
2018Lengths measured · 181 fish
2017BluegillFair numbers48.6per trap net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 454 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 10 fish
2024Lengths measured · 444 fish
2021Lengths measured · 54 fish
2018Lengths measured · 722 fish
2015CrappieJust a few2per trap net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 43 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 13 fish
2024Lengths measured · 30 fish
2021Lengths measured · 37 fish
2018Lengths measured · 14 fish
2015Yellow perchOne of the best around38.4per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 462 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 392 fish
2024Lengths measured · 70 fish
2021Lengths measured · 202 fish
2018Lengths measured · 119 fish
2015Present and managed by the DNR.
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
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. With 62% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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 62% 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.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Walleye | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 20" | 27" | 10" |
| 2021 | 27" | 37" | 14" |
| 2018 | 25" | 31" | — |
| 2017 | 25" | 33" | 9" |
| 2015 | 22" | 33" | — |
| 2011 | 26" | 30" | — |
| 2009 | 27" | 34" | 14" |
| 2004 | 24" | 33" | — |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Walleye · Trolling
Planer Board Spread
4–6" crankbait or a 5–6 ft crawler harness run out to the side on an in-line planer board
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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tiger Muskellunge | 401 fingerlings |
| 2025 | Walleye | 9,341 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 1,537 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Tiger Muskellunge | 200 fingerlings · 201 yearlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 10,221 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 4,520 fingerlings · 30 yearlings |
| 2021 | Tiger Muskellunge | 401 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 2,146 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 130 fingerlings · 721 yearlings |
| 2019 | Tiger Muskellunge | 401 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 14,612 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 390 fingerlings · 1,439 yearlings |
Stocking records before 2018 omitted.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Clear Lake is a eutrophic, class 24 lake located in northern Washington County. The Lake is 424 acres in surface area, with 267 acres being littoral (63%). The lake's maximum depth is 28 feet. Primary management species are Walleye and Hybrid (Tiger) Muskellunge, and the secondary management species is Northern Pike. The lake is located south of the City of Forest Lake, and much of the lakeshore is developed as single-family homes. Walleye fingerlings are stocked annually at a rate of 1.0 pound per littoral acre (267 pounds), and Tiger Muskellunge are stocked in odd-number years at a rate of 1.5 fish per littoral acre (401 fish). This report details the most recent gill net survey conducted in June of 2024. The previous gill net survey occurred in June of 2021.
Walleye were sampled using gill nets at a rate of 9.0 fish per net. This catch rate exceeds the 75th percentile for the lake class and is the highest catch rate since 1990. Although the catch rate was relatively high, average size was below the 25th percentile for the lake class. Average length was just 14.9 inches, and Walleyes ranged from 7.6 to 20.7 inches in length. Walleye ages ranged from 2 to 6 years old, with 48% being age 2.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike were sampled at a rate of 7.8 fish per gill net. This catch rate exceeds the 75th percentile for the lake class and is slightly lower than the previous gill net survey (9.3 fish per net). Average size was below the 25th percentile for the lake class at just 18.5 inches in length. Northern Pike ranged from 12.9 to 27 inches in length, and only 29% of fish were at least 20 inches in length.
Yellow Perch were sampled at a rate of 78.6 fish per gill net. This catch rate greatly exceeds the 75th percentile for the lake class and is the highest Yellow Perch catch rate ever recorded for Clear Lake. Catch rates have been variable among survey years but have consistently been above average for the lake class. Fish size was also above average for the weight class, with an average length of 6.9 inches. The largest fish was 9.3 inches in length.
Sportfish including Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie were also sampled in gill nets; however, summer gill nets are not the optimal sampling gear to reliably estimate abundance or size structure for these species. Other fish species were sampled including Black Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp, Bowfin, Hybrid Sunfish, and White Sucker. No Tiger Muskellunge were captured in this survey but they are better sampled using other survey methods.
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 (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Clear Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Forest Lake · 2,271 ac · 2.5 mi
- Shields Lake · 30 ac · 2.6 mi
- Comfort Lake · 218 ac · 4.8 mi
- Peltier Lake · 552 ac · 6.1 mi
- Green Lake · 1,810 ac · 6.7 mi
- Bone Lake · 221 ac · 6.9 mi
- Moody Lake · 45 ac · 7 mi
- Big Marine Lake · 1,799 ac · 7.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Clear Lake?
Clear Lake reaches 28 ft at its deepest point; about 62% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Clear Lake?
Clear Lake covers 429 acres with about 4.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Clear Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Clear Lake average 5.8 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Clear Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, tiger muskellunge.
Is Clear Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked tiger muskellunge and walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2018.
Does Clear Lake have a public access?
Yes. Clear Lake has one public access site: Clear Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Clear Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2004.
When was Clear Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Clear Lake in 2024, the most recent of 17 surveys on record.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Clear Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Clear Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report