Clear Lake Iowa Aerator’s

📍

Aerator Area Locations

Clear Lake has two main aeration system locations that are used primarily in winter to help maintain oxygen levels and prevent fish kills when the lake freezes over:

1. East Shore — Near Downtown / Water Treatment Plant

   
   

   • One aerator system is installed along the east shoreline of the lake.

   • It’s located in front of the Clear Lake Water Treatment Plant area downtown.

   • This is a known aeration/open water area during winter.

2. Northwest Shore — Between Venetian Village and Baptist Camp

   
   

   • The second aerator is on the northwest side of the lake.

   • It’s positioned between the Venetian Village area and the Baptist Camp property on that shore.

   • This site creates a second open water refuge area for fish.

     
     

🧠

Why These Locations?

Lake managers (Iowa DNR and local partners) choose aerator locations based on a few key criteria:

• Spread out to create multiple “refuge” zones for fish when oxygen gets low.

• Close to deeper water areas where fish naturally congregate.

• Consideration of prevailing wind patterns and historical oxygen depletion trends in Clear Lake.

• Placement near shore infrastructure (like the treatment plant) for easier operation and maintenance.

⚠️

Safety Around Aerator Areas

• When these systems are running in winter, they keep water ice-free around the aeration spots.

• That means unsafe or thin ice near these open water areas — so people should stay well clear if out on the ice.

• Reflective signs are often posted to mark these open water zones once the ice is safe enough to travel on.

🐟

What Purpose They Serve

The goal of the aeration systems is to maintain dissolved oxygen in the lake water during ice cover, which:

• Reduces the chance of winter fish kills.

• Helps keep the fishery healthy for anglers and the ecosystem.

• Unlike injecting oxygen directly, these systems create open water and encourage natural oxygen exchange with the air.