Clear Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (Crawford County, WI)

Lake depth chart

Clear Lake, WI

Max 8 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Target species

Species from state lake data, resolved by location. These species come from the Wisconsin DNR's own per-lake fish listing. Where the DNR reports a group rather than a species — “panfish”, “catfish”, “trout” — the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by this lake's location, depth and habitat, so those are an informed estimate, not a per-species survey. The named gamefish (walleye, musky, bass, pike, sturgeon…) are the DNR's own listing. (The depth chart is a computer-generated estimate from the lake's real shoreline and the DNR's maximum depth — not measured contours.) How we estimate species →

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · colder nights and shortening days start the push in early September — shiners slide out of open water toward warmer shallows and run up the rivers; the Rainy River run off Lake of the Woods is the marquee version

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Next on this water

Fall frog migration · forageSep 25 – Nov 10 · in ~3 weeks

Spring crawfish emergence · forageApr 1 – Jun 15 · in ~7 months

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyJun 15 – Aug 15 · in ~10 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Clear Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Clear Lake on the board.

Fishing Clear Lake: what the data says

8-acre lake in Crawford County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 8 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

Traced from the shoreline, Clear Lake runs 8 acres with 1.1 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 2.8, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Figure 0.5 mi of water from one end to the other. You'll find it in Crawford County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lower Lake, 2 mi northeast of here.

Northern Pike fishing at Clear Lake

Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	2 to 8 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Clear Lake

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	2 to 8 ft	midday	Break off the point (4 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Main-lake point at roughly 8 ft.

Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Deep basin: deep basin, around 7 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

Clear Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Clear Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Clear Lake?

Clear Lake is about 8 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Clear Lake?

Anglers target northern pike, largemouth bass on Clear Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.

Where is the best fishing spot on Clear Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Clear Lake?

For northern pike, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Clear Lake?

Fishing on Clear Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Lower Lake 2 mi · Garner Lake 4 mi · Bullhead Slu 7 mi · Fish Trap Lake 7 mi · Rice Lake 8 mi · Woodman Lake 8 mi · Poffenrath Slough 8 mi · Postel Slough 9 mi · Pospichal Slough 9 mi · Whites Slough 10 mi · Balmoral Pond 11 mi · Goodwiler Lake 13 mi

See how Clear Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin

Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.

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