Clear Lake (Sibley County)
Sibley County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 72008900
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Clear Lake (Sibley County) since 2016, most recently yellow perch adults in 2019 (798 fish).
- Clear Lake (Sibley County) has 9 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2016-2019): yellow perch (4), northern pike (3), black crappie (1), white crappie (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is yellow perch: 11,013 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 8 ft; surface area 505 acres, 498 littoral acres, 6.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, and 1 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Sibley County, nearest town Saint George; DNR lake number (DOW) 72008900.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Yellow Perch | adults | 798 | 189.0 |
| 2019 | Yellow Perch | yearlings | 2,145 | 33.0 |
| 2018 | Northern Pike | adults | 124 | 195.6 |
| 2018 | Yellow Perch | yearlings | 8,000 | 200.0 |
| 2018 | Yellow Perch | adults | 70 | 10.0 |
| 2017 | Northern Pike | adults | 167 | 238.6 |
| 2016 | Black Crappie | adults | 230 | 115.0 |
| 2016 | Northern Pike | adults | 126 | 193.8 |
| 2016 | White Crappie | adults | 26 | 13.0 |
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | county | - East side of lake, within the county park. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - North end of lake with limited parking. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead minnow | 3/8-in trap nets | 75.00 | 75 | 0.00 |
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 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. 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.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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