Clearwater Lake (Crow Wing County)
Crow Wing County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 18003800
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Clearwater Lake (Crow Wing County) since 2017, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2023 (5,292 fish).
- Clearwater Lake (Crow Wing County) has 4 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2017-2023): walleye (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 10,933 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 54 ft, mean depth 24 ft; surface area 905 acres, 252 littoral acres, 8.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 13.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), and 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Crow Wing County, nearest town Deerwood (Crow Wing); DNR lake number (DOW) 18003800.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 5/17/1951 (topo map/drg); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 5,292 | 252.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 4,140 | 230.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | yearlings | 1,154 | 325.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fingerlings | 347 | 28.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
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 | Minnesota DNR | - You have to travel through the river channel for several hundred feet to get to the lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 105.88 | 210 | 1.21 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 25.21 | 50 | 1.18 |
| Walleye | Standard electrofishing | 17.14 | 34 | 0.67 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 7.82 | 86 | 0.14 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 7.73 | 85 | 0.29 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 2.82 | 31 | 0.35 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 1.82 | 20 | 0.57 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.45 | 16 | 0.22 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.82 | 9 | 0.94 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.73 | 8 | 2.06 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.55 | 6 | 4.11 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 6.58 | 79 | 1.91 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 4.83 | 58 | 1.48 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 4.67 | 56 | 2.75 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 36 | 0.39 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.50 | 30 | 1.32 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 2.08 | 25 | 0.28 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 20 | 0.97 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 1.42 | 17 | 0.34 |
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.
Clearwater Lake is a 905-acre lake near the city of Deerwood in Crow Wing County. The public access is located 4 miles south of Deerwood on Crow Wing County Road 8. Smallmouth Bass is the primary management species. Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye and Black Crappie are secondary management species. A standard survey using gill nets, trap nets, and electrofishing was conducted in August 2025 to assess fish populations and provide angler information. Clearwater Lake is a destination lake in the Brainerd area for Smallmouth Bass anglers. Smallmouth Bass had the second highest recorded gill net catch (6.6 per net), and the second highest recorded electrofishing catch for the lake (105.9 per hour). Smallmouth Bass ranged in length from 3.4 to 20.0 inches with the average length of 12.5 inches for all three gears combined. Growth was average when compared to area lakes with fish averaging 12.4 inches at age 4. The Largemouth Bass electrofishing catch in 2025 (25.2 per hour) was the lowest recorded for the lake. Fish ranged in length from 5.2 to 17.8 inches with an average length of 12.3 inches. Northern Pike numbers (4.7 per net) are up from the previous survey with fish up to 30.0 inches captured. Anglers should have opportunities to harvest fish with 36 percent of the fish below the 22-to-26-inch protected slot, as well as a shot at a trophy with 23 percent of the fish above the slot. Releasing larger Pike is encouraged to help maintain the quality size. Walleye gill net numbers (4.8 per net) were up from the previous survey and ranged in length from 12.4 to 30.0 inches with 14 percent of the fish 20 inches or larger. Growth was good with fish averaging 16.2 inches at age 3. Walleye fingerlings are stocked into Clearwater Lake (252 lbs.) every third year since 1998 and last stocked in 2023. Black Crappie numbers are up from previous surveys, with 61 percent at least 8 inches in length and 15 percent measuring 10 inches or larger, suggesting angling opportunities for eater sized fish. Bluegills are present but the size structure may turn anglers away. Bluegill numbers (7.8 per trap net) were down when compared to the previous survey. Only 18 percent measured at least 7 inches, and 2 percent were over 8 inches. Yellow Perch numbers are the lowest recorded catch for the lake (0.3 per net) with 25 percent measuring 8 inches. Most are too small to be of interest for anglers although Yellow Perch are an important prey species for gamefish. Other species sampled in the latest survey include Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish…
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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