Clear

Goodhue County

Near Etter

DOW: 25001900

White CrappieExcellent · 100Black CrappieExcellent · 100BluegillExcellent · 86

A 226-acre lake near Etter in Goodhue County — best known for panfish. Last surveyed 1989.

Fish Species (18)

White Crappie

Excellent · 100

Above-normal numbers

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.01 lbs

Catch rate: 7.0 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	7.00	-	0.01 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 31, 1989	1.55	-	0.83 lbs	Standard trap nets
Sep 16, 1987	15.80	-	0.83 lbs	Standard trap nets

Black Crappie

Excellent · 100

Above-normal numbers

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.01 lbs

Catch rate: 11.4 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	11.42	-	0.01 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 31, 1989	3.60	-	0.31 lbs	Standard trap nets
Sep 16, 1987	6.33	-	0.58 lbs	Standard trap nets

Bluegill

Excellent · 86

Above-normal numbers

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.01 lbs

Catch rate: 32.7 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	32.67	-	0.01 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 31, 1989	2.00	-	0.45 lbs	Standard trap nets
Sep 16, 1987	0.80	-	0.45 lbs	Standard trap nets

Green Sunfish

Good · 55

Typical numbers

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Catch rate: 0.25 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	0.25	-	-	Standard trap nets

Pumpkinseed

Poor · 24

Below-normal numbers

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 0.58 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	0.58	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets

Walleye

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Sep 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

3.02 lbs

Catch rate: 0.4 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Sep 16, 1987	0.40	-	3.02 lbs	Standard trap nets

Northern Pike

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

5.15 lbs

Catch rate: 0.33 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	0.33	-	5.15 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 31, 1989	1.60	-	4.95 lbs	Standard trap nets
Sep 16, 1987	0.83	-	4.85 lbs	Standard trap nets

Largemouth Bass

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.06 lbs

Catch rate: 0.25 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	0.25	-	0.06 lbs	Standard trap nets

Yellow Perch

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.15 lbs

Catch rate: 1.2 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	1.17	-	0.15 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 31, 1989	0.05	-	0.20 lbs	Standard trap nets

Channel Catfish

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Aug 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

3.50 lbs

Catch rate: 0.15 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Aug 31, 1989	0.15	-	3.50 lbs	Standard trap nets

Other species in this lake (8)

Rough fish, bullheads, and baitfish recorded in DNR surveys — present in the lake, but not typical angling targets.

Yellow Bullhead

Poor · 23

Below-normal numbers

Trap-net survey · surveyed Sep 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.28 lbs

Catch rate: 0.4 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Sep 16, 1987	0.40	-	1.28 lbs	Standard trap nets

Brown Bullhead

Poor · 22

Below-normal numbers

Trap-net survey · surveyed Sep 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.27 lbs

Catch rate: 0.1 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Sep 16, 1987	0.10	-	1.27 lbs	Standard trap nets

Black Bullhead

Poor · 17

Below-normal numbers

Trap-net survey · surveyed Sep 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.93 lbs

Catch rate: 0.13 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Sep 16, 1987	0.13	-	0.93 lbs	Standard trap nets

Freshwater Drum

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Aug 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.82 lbs

Catch rate: 0.45 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Aug 31, 1989	0.45	-	0.82 lbs	Standard trap nets
Sep 16, 1987	0.20	-	1.18 lbs	Standard trap nets

Golden Shiner

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Catch rate: 0.37 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	0.37	-	-	Standard trap nets

Common Carp

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

3.05 lbs

Catch rate: 0.5 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	0.50	-	3.05 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 31, 1989	0.30	-	4.10 lbs	Standard trap nets
Sep 16, 1987	0.37	-	3.53 lbs	Standard trap nets

White Sucker

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Dec 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.84 lbs

Catch rate: 0.33 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Dec 8, 1989	0.33	-	1.84 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 31, 1989	0.25	-	0.12 lbs	Standard trap nets
Sep 16, 1987	0.50	-	2.19 lbs	Standard trap nets

Shorthead Redhorse

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Aug 1989

Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.60 lbs

Catch rate: 0.1 per trap net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Aug 31, 1989	0.10	-	1.60 lbs	Standard trap nets
Sep 16, 1987	0.07	-	1.00 lbs	Standard trap nets

See the best white crappie lakes in Minnesota

Fishing Regulations

Statewide limits

Standard statewide Minnesota limits for the species in this lake.

Walleye and Sauger

Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

6 combined, not more than one walleye over 20"

Northern Pike

Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Southern zone

Angling: 2 (Minimum size 24").

Largemouth Bass

Season: Mar 1, 2026 – May 22, 2026

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

Catch-and-release only

Largemouth Bass

Season: May 23, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth (when smallmouth season is open)

Crappie

10 combined total

Sunfish

20 combined total

Channel Catfish

5, only 1 fish over 24"

Perch

20 daily and 40 in possession

More statewide rules (spearing, rough fish)

Northern Pike

Season: Nov 15, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Southern zone

Darkhouse spearing: 2 (Minimum size 24").

Bowfin, buffalo, carp, carpsuckers, freshwater drum, goldeneye, redhorse, and suckers

no limit

Bullhead

100

Biologist Notes

December 8, 1989TRAPNET SAMPLING IS TARGETED AT BLUEGILL AND BLACK AND WHITE CRAPPIE. THESE SPECIES ARE EXPECTED TO RESPOND TO THE HABITAT CHANGES CAUSED BY THE REHAB…

TRAPNET SAMPLING IS TARGETED AT BLUEGILL AND BLACK AND WHITE CRAPPIE. THESE SPECIES ARE EXPECTED TO RESPOND TO THE HABITAT CHANGES CAUSED BY THE REHABILITATION PROJECT. COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS, BLACK AND WHITE CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL WERE LOW IN ABUNDANCE. GOOD NUMBERS OF WHITE BASS AND NORTHERN PIKE WERE PRESENT. GROWTH RATES FOR CRAPPIE AND BLUE GILL WERE AVERAGE FOR THE AREA. SAUGER WER PRESENT IN MODERATE NUMBERS.

August 31, 1989THE TRAPNET SAMPLING BEING DONE IS TARGETED AT BLUEGILL AND BLACK AND WHITE CRAPPIE. THESE SPEC- IES ARE EXPECTED TO RESPOND TO THE HABITAT CHANGES CA…

THE TRAPNET SAMPLING BEING DONE IS TARGETED AT BLUEGILL AND BLACK AND WHITE CRAPPIE. THESE SPEC- IES ARE EXPECTED TO RESPOND TO THE HABITAT CHANGES CAUSED BY THE REHABILITATION PROJECT. COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS, BLACK AND WHITE CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL WERE LOW IN ABUNDANCE. GOOD NUMBERS OF WHITE BASS AND NORTHERN PIKE WERE PRESENT. GROWTH RATES FOR CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL WERE AVERAGE FOR THE AREA. SAUGER WERE PRESENT IN MODERATE NUMBERS.

September 16, 1987WHTIE AND BLACK CRAPPIE WERE WELL REPRESENTED WITH WHITE CRAPPIE BEING VERY ABUNDANT AND OF A LARGE AVERAGE SIZE. BLUEGILL WERE VERY LOW IN ABUNDANCE.…

WHTIE AND BLACK CRAPPIE WERE WELL REPRESENTED WITH WHITE CRAPPIE BEING VERY ABUNDANT AND OF A LARGE AVERAGE SIZE. BLUEGILL WERE VERY LOW IN ABUNDANCE. GROWTH RATES FOR CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL WERE AVERAGE FOR THE AREA. GOOD NUMBERS OF WHITE BASS AND NORTHERN PIKE WERE PRESENT. WALLEYE AND SAUGER WERE PRESENT IN LOW NUMBERS.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fish can you catch in Clear?

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target White Crappie, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, and Pumpkinseed in Clear. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Is there public access at Clear?

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Clear. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

How deep is Clear?

Clear has a maximum depth of 7 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

When were the main sport fish in Clear last surveyed?

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Clear is from 1989. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

Does Clear have any invasive species?

No invasive species are on record for Clear in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.

Are there special fishing regulations on Clear?

No — Clear has no lake-specific regulations in the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations, so statewide Minnesota limits apply. The statewide crappie limit is: 10 combined total. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.