Clear Lake (Brown County)

Brown County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 08001100

DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Clear Lake (Brown County) since 2016, most recently northern pike adults in 2024 (306 fish).

• Clear Lake (Brown County) has 8 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): northern pike (4), yellow perch (2), walleye (2).
• The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 255,790 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 8 ft, mean depth 5 ft; surface area 252 acres, 252 littoral acres, 3.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 1.8 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: March 17, 2025 (targeted survey).
• Brown County, nearest town New Ulm; DNR lake number (DOW) 08001100.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/9/1957 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2025

Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.

Clear is a small lake (251 acres) located south of New Ulm, in Brown County. A medium-sized county owned access, with a single cement boat ramp, is present on the southeast shore. A fishing pier is available at the Lost Dog and Fox Hunters County Park. Clear has three 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. This lake is occasionally aerated during the winter, and anglers are advised to stay clear of the open water and thin ice signs when the system is operated. Fisheries management changed at Clear in 2017 when it was decided to primarily manage the lake for Northern Pike and Yellow Perch, while the 2022 lake management plan also listed Black Crappie and Bluegill as secondary management species. Northern Pike and Yellow Perch can typically survive lower winter oxygen levels than Bluegill, Largemouth Bass and Walleye. Northern Pike adults were stocked in 2017, 2018, and 2019, while Yellow Perch (adults and yearlings) were stocked in 2019. Ice-out trap net catches in 2021 indicated that neither of those two species had become abundant. Clear Lake experienced a partial winterkill in 2023, and Northern Pike were stocked in 2024. In the 2025 ice-out trap netting, Northern Pike were present in moderate numbers with fish averaging 20 inches in length. Only two of the sampled pike were longer than the southern pike-zone regulation's 24-inch minimum size limit. Yellow Perch were sampled in low numbers, but the water was still too cold to catch spawning fish. However, approximately 50 percent of the perch catch was 9 inches or longer, with maximum length being an impressive 11.3 inches. Walleye were not sampled in the 2023 winterkill assessment or in the 2025 ice-out trap netting and are likely no longer present at Clear Lake. Clear has an abundant crappie population and ice-out trap netting verified this. Black Crappie averaged 6 inches in length with good numbers of 8 to11 inch long fish also being captured. The longest crappie sampled was 13.4 inches. There was also a very large group of 4.5-inch long crappie that should provide good fishing in the next several years - if they survive. Bluegill were sampled in very low numbers, and all were small. Other species that anglers may encounter include Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, White…

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, March 17, 2025.

All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder