Clearwater Lake Fishing Tips
Clearwater Lake offers anglers excellent opportunities to catch walleyes, bass, northern pike, and crappie within the Deerwood and Cuyuna Lakes region.
Anglers looking to learn the lake quickly or improve their chances of success can book a trip with The Fish Guyd Guide Service, which specializes in guiding anglers throughout the Brainerd Lakes and Cuyuna Lakes areas.
Resorts Nearby
Clearwater Lake Resort
Cuyuna Lakes Stay
Ruttger's Bay Lake Resort
Species We Target
Clearwater Lake Fishery Summary
Clearwater Lake is a scenic fishery located about 4 miles south of Deerwood in Crow Wing County, within the Cuyuna Lakes region of central Minnesota. The lake covers approximately 905 acres and includes 252 acres of littoral habitat, providing important spawning and feeding areas for many fish species.
Clearwater Lake reaches a maximum depth of 54 feet, and roughly 29% of the lake is 15 feet deep or less, offering a mix of shallow vegetation and deeper basin structure. Water clarity is good, typically measuring around 11–14 feet, allowing aquatic plants to grow and support a healthy fishery.
Much of Clearwater’s shoreline remains undeveloped, including nearly a mile of shoreline protected under a Minnesota DNR Fisheries Aquatic Management Area (AMA) conservation easement. Protecting shoreline habitat and aquatic vegetation helps maintain water quality and preserves spawning areas for fish.
The lake supports a diverse fish community including walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, and bluegill, making it a popular destination for anglers in the Deerwood and Crosby area.
Clearwater Lake Survey Information
Walleye
Clearwater Lake receives walleye fingerling stockings every three years, with the most recent stocking occurring in 2017.
Survey results showed:
Catch rate: 4.1 walleyes per gill net
Average length: 18.7 inches
Largest sampled fish: 27.8 inches
Walleye abundance has varied historically, with past gill net catches ranging from 0.2 per net to 6.8 per net, indicating fluctuating year classes.
Northern Pike
Catch rate: 3.8 per gill net
Average length: 25.2 inches
Average weight: 3.6 pounds
Largest sampled fish: 33.5 inches
Size structure is strong:
33% of fish were in the protected 22–26 inch slot
47% were 26 inches or larger
Clearwater follows the North Central Zone northern pike regulations:
Possession limit of 10 pike
No more than 2 fish over 26 inches
All fish between 22–26 inches must be released
Largemouth Bass
Electrofishing catch rate: 66.2 fish per hour
Average length: 13.4 inches
77% of fish were 12 inches or larger
Gill net sampling also showed:
Catch rate: 1.1 per net
Average size: 14.3 inches
Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass are abundant in Clearwater Lake.
Electrofishing catch rate: 76.7 fish per hour
Average length: 13 inches
63% of fish were 12 inches or larger
Gill net sampling showed:
Catch rate: 9.6 per net
Average length: 14 inches
78% measured at least 12 inches
Black Crappie
Catch rate: 0.3 per gill net
Catch rate: 0.6 per trap net
Average length: 9–10 inches
73% measured at least 8 inches
Bluegill
Catch rate: 8.7 per trap net
Average length: 4.6 inches
Only 5% measured 7 inches or larger
Bluegill are present in moderate numbers but tend to be smaller in size.
Clearwater Lake Fishing Tips
Spring Fishing
(Water Temps: 38–55°F)
Spring fishing begins shortly after ice-out as fish move shallow to feed and spawn.
Best Spring Areas
Wind-blown shorelines
Shallow bays and sand flats
Emerging vegetation beds
Points near shallow water
Spring Techniques
Jigging with minnows along shallow breaks
Slip bobber fishing along vegetation edges
Casting shallow crankbaits along rocky shorelines
Recommended Lures
1/8–1/4 oz jigs tipped with fathead or shiner minnows
Shallow crankbaits
Slip bobbers with leeches
Both largemouth and smallmouth bass can be very active in shallow areas during spring.
Trophy Largemouth Bass
Summer Fishing
(Water Temps: 60–75°F)
During summer, fish often relate to weed edges, deeper structure, and baitfish schools.
Best Summer Areas
Weedlines in 10–18 feet
Rock points and shoreline structure
Mid-lake humps
Basin edges holding baitfish
Summer Techniques
Live bait rigging along deeper breaklines for walleyes
Casting soft plastics for bass
Slow trolling spinner rigs along structure
Recommended Lures
Lindy rigs with crawlers or leeches
Spinner harnesses
Ned rigs or drop-shot rigs
Texas-rigged plastics
Clearwater’s strong bass population can provide excellent fishing throughout the summer.
Trophy Walleye
Fall Fishing
(Water Temps: 40–60°F)
Fall fishing can be excellent as predator fish feed heavily before winter.
Best Fall Areas
Rock points and steep breaks
Basin edges near baitfish
Remaining weed beds
Fall Techniques
Jigging large minnows along breaklines
Casting crankbaits along rocky shorelines
Vertical jigging deeper structure
Recommended Lures
Jig and minnow combinations
Blade baits
Deep diving crankbaits
Suspending jerkbaits
Both walleyes and northern pike can become more active during the fall season.
Client with
Big Walleye
Winter Fishing (Ice Fishing)
Clearwater Lake offers winter fishing opportunities for walleyes, pike, and panfish.
Best Winter Areas
Basin edges near deeper water
Suspended crappies over deeper basins
Weedlines in 10–15 feet
Winter Techniques
Jigging spoons tipped with minnow heads
Deadstick rods with live minnows
Tip-ups set along weed edges for northern pike
Recommended Ice Lures
Jigging spoons
Jigging raps
Tungsten jigs with waxworms
Tip-ups with sucker minnows
Big Largemouth Bass
FAQ’s
When Is The Best Time To Fish Clearwater Lake?
A. Clearwater Lake can be great at any time of the season, the best times are May and Early June and then again in October.
Q. How Do I Catch a Trophy Fish Of In Clearwater Lake?
A. Clearwater has trophy sized fish of every species
Q. Where Can I Book A Clearwater Lake Fish Guyd Guide Service?
A. Jason Ka, owner of The Fish Guyd Guide Service, strives to give you the best possible fishing experience on any fish possible, all while making the
Q. How Do I Book A Guided Fishing Trip With The Fish Guyd Guide Service?
A. You can click this link that will take you directly to the availability calendar for The Fish Guyd Guide Service
Trophy Clearwater Lake Area Fish
We cover a large area in Central Minnesota, if you have any questions about a certain lake or a certain species of fish don’t hesitate to call. We are very accommodating and can come up with a plan to make any sort of trip work. If you need multiple boats we are also able to get more guides to handle larger group trips! Our goal is to make your fishing trip easy, comfortable, and full of fish catching excitement!