Clearwater Lake (Wright County)
Wright County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 86025200
DNR records show 13 stocking entries at Clearwater Lake (Wright County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (1,499,278 fish).
- Clearwater Lake (Wright County) has 13 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2016-2025): walleye (13).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 12,397,335 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 73 ft, mean depth 19 ft; surface area 3,187 acres, 1,596 littoral acres, 22.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 6.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, and 5 more.
- 3 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Wright County, nearest town Annandale; DNR lake number (DOW) 86025200.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 1,499,278 | 14.7 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 1,500,000 | 13.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 24,378 | 939.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 17,790 | 640.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 1,500,000 | 16.2 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 55,889 | 1,791.5 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 1,650,000 | 13.4 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 750,000 | 7.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 1,300,000 | 14.9 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 1,500,000 | 14.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 1,000,000 | 10.5 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 1,000,000 | 8.9 |
| 2016 | Walleye1 | fry | 600,000 | 6.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 | West side of lake north of Clearwater River inlet off of Bayview Road. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | The black pool access is located on the northwest side of the west basin off of Bayberry Road. |
| concrete ramp | PRI | Private pay access on east side of the on MN State Hwy 24. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 4.74 | 8 | 0.08 |
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.
The Walleye population in Clearwater Lake has been sustained through fry stocking since 1998, with annual fry stocking conducted from 2014 through 2019. While fry stocking has been regularly implemented, fall electrofishing results have only exceeded the target catch rate of 25 young-of-year (YOY) Walleye per hour three times since standardized sampling began in 2014. That year, electrofishing stations were expanded and standardized across multiple basins, which may have reduced direct comparability to earlier results but provided a more representative measure of lake-wide recruitment. Night electrofishing was conducted on October 7, 2025. During this survey, 7 YOY Walleye were collected for a catch rate of 4.2/hour. YOY Walleye ranged from 7.6 to 9.0 inches and averaged 8.4 inches in length. One additional age 1+ Walleye (12.5 inches) was sampled for a catch rate of 0.6/hour. Although YOY Walleye were present in 2025, catch rates remained well below the 25 YOY/hour target and indicate fry survival continues to be weak. The most recent gill net assessment was completed from July 28-31, 2025. Sixteen standard gill nets were set and captured 26 Walleye for a catch rate of 1.6/net. This is below, the 2022 survey catch rate of 2.7/net and remains below the management goal of > 4/net. Walleye in the 2025 gill net sample ranged from 12.4 to 28.0 inches and averaged 20.4 inches in length, indicating that the population is dominated by older fish with limited evidence of any strong year classes. To help supplement the Walleye population, fingerlings were stocked in Clearwater Lake in the fall of 2019 (55,889 fish) and 2022 (42,168 fish). Fingerling stocking is expensive, time consuming, and subject to availability, so fry stocking every two years will continue with supplemental fingerling stocking taking place as needed if available. Given the low YOY electrofishing catch rates in 2024 and 2025, combined with gill net catches in 2022 and 2025 that were below lake management goals, continued fry stocking is warranted and additional fingerling stocking may be considered following future assessments if recruitment does not improve. Zebra mussels were found in the lake in 2015, and increased water clarity has been observed. Lower Walleye catch rates preceded zebra mussel infestation, so zebra mussels are probably not solely to blame for lower Walleye abundance. However, their continued expansion and associated increases in water clarity may negatively affect Walleye fry survival by reducing plankton availability and increasing predation risk on YOY Walleye.…
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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