Cleary

Cleary Lake is a shallow, productive 149-acre lake located near Prior Lake, Scott County. The lake is located entirely within Cleary Lake Regional Park, operated by the Three Rivers Park District. There is a boat launch; however only electric motors are allowed. The lake is managed for Bluegill and for Largemouth Bass. The fish community can be described as "boom-bust" because environmental factors such as high water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen, and overly abundant aquatic vegetation make it difficult to establish a consistent, quality fishery. Largemouth Bass are very abundant in Cleary. Although their size is moderate, these bass grew at a very fast rate are capable of reaching quality sizes within two years. Fish ranged between 9.4 and 13.8 inches in length, with an average size of 10.9 inches and 0.7 pounds. Bluegill are also highly abundant in Cleary, and of moderate size. Fish length ranged from 3.0 to 8.5 inches, and average size was 5.4 inches and 0.13 pounds. Only 2% of the fish exceed 7 inches. However, the Bluegill grew exceptionally fast and could reach quality size within 2 years. Golden Shiner and Black Bullhead were also sampled abundantly in Cleary.

Cleary lake is a shallow, productive 149-acre, Class 42 lake located near Prior Lake, Scott County. The lake is located entirely within Cleary Lake Regional Park, operated by the Three Rivers Park District. There is a boat launch; however only electric motors are allowed. The lake is primarily managed for bluegill and secondarily for largemouth bass. Cleary has had a winter aerator since 1988, although it has a history of winterkill. At times the lake has been used as a walleye rearing pond. The fish community can be described as "boom-bust" because environmental factors such as high water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen, and overly abundant aquatic vegetation make it difficult to establish a consistent, quality fishery. In an effort to monitor the fish community in Cleary Lake, daytime boat electrofishing was conducted on 9/24/2012. All shocked fish were collected; however, many fathead minnows were too small and fell through the mesh of the dip net. The number of fathead minnows represented in the survey is only a fraction of the actual number observed. Due to the large number of fish collected on transect 1, a subsample was weighed and measured. The remaining fish were bulk weighed and entered as unmeasured fish. At the time of the survey, water level was low and thick stands of coontail made sampling and boat operation difficult. In 1 hr and 2 minutes of electrofishing on-time, 6 species were sampled. Green sunfish (n = 282) and black bullhead (n = 114) were the most abundant, comprising 65 and 26% of the sample, respectively. Green sunfish ranged from 1.9 to 7.2 inches, averaging 4.7 inches. The majority of black bullhead were between 3.5 and 7.5 inches long. Bullhead averaged 5.8 inches and the largest was 12 inches. Eight bluegill were sampled. They averaged 4.8 inches and ranged from 4.0 to 6.0 inches. Two hybrid sunfish and 2 pumpkinseed were also observed. The fish community in Cleary Lake is dominated by undesirable species (black bullhead, green sunfish). The recreational fishery has declined to the point where a drawdown and reclamation may be necessary to restore its quality. Stocking of bluegill and largemouth bass according to the Management Plan is recommended after the reclamation. Evaluation of the fishery should follow 5 years after stocking has taken place.

Bluegills remain the most abundant species in Cleary Lake. Their population has dropped since the last survey, but it remains well above average for this type of lake. Bluegills from the trapnet sample averaged only 4.8 inches in length. With the above average growth rate, these fish should be a more desirable size in a few years. Carry over walleyes are present in good numbers. The average length sampled was only 13.7 inches. Black bullheads are abundant and large enough to provide an alternative to the smaller panfish present in the lake. Green sunfish and hybrid sunfish are also present but the average size is less than 5 inches.

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

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Cleary. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Cleary has a maximum depth of 9 feet and a mean depth of 5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Cleary is from 2017. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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