Fishing at Clarke Lake, Clearwater County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Clarke Lake, in Clearwater County. The ground round it is mixed forest. Surface area is around 48 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Bank access stretches around 1.6 miles in total. You are 19 miles from Park Rapids. Fargo sits 78 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Clarke Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Clearwater County records list bluegill, northern pike and largemouth bass among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Clarke Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 4°F in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Clarke Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Deer Park Lake, 0.4 miles out. None of that is settled for Clarke Lake in what we hold.