Clearwater Lake in Itasca County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Itasca County, Clearwater Lake is a Minnesota water. It stands 1,286 feet above sea level. The water covers some 126 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.9 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Coleraine is the closest place, 6.1 miles off. It is 154 miles to Minneapolis, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Clearwater Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Itasca County, recorded fish include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Clearwater Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 67°F and January near 5°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Clearwater Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Blackberry Lake, 0.8 miles away. For Clearwater Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.