Surrounded by undulating hills and the immense natural beauty of the Ozarks, Clearwater Lake is a reservoir located near Piedmont, Missouri. Managed by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, it was created as a way to control flooding in the White and Lower Mississippi River Basins. Today, it offers plenty of exciting activities for outdoorsy travelers.
Named after its clear, spring-fed water, Clearwater Lake is characterized by scenic coves and gorgeous bays. With a surface area of 2.5 square miles, it’s a natural playground for water activities such as boating, swimming, fishing, canoeing, and more. Back on land, there are hiking trails snaking around the lake – ideal for wildlife watching – as well as children’s playgrounds, picnic areas, and campgrounds.
Spend your days fishing for bass, crappie and catfish, swimming off one of the campground’s dedicated beaches (Piedmont Park, Webb Creek, Bluff View, and Highway K), and picnicking on the lake shores beneath oak, hickory and maple trees. The spring season is a particularly pretty time to visit the lake when redbud, dogwood, hawthorn, and wild plum trees are blooming.
Water temperatures and lake conditions vary throughout the year. From January to March, the mean temperature is around 43 degrees, and it rises to 66 degrees between April and June – the perfect time for crappie fishing! It then rises higher still to 88 degrees from July to September when night fishing for bass is popular. From October to December, the temperature drops again to 55 degrees.
With so much to do, why not stay for longer? There are five campgrounds on the lake offering excellent RV camping facilities all year round. They have lovely swimming beaches, children’s playgrounds, and boat launch ramps to keep you coming back for more.
Clearwater Lake is located seven miles west of Piedmont, or 120 miles (two hours’ drive) south of St. Louis in Missouri. Travel along the U.S Highway 67 and then west on Missouri Route 34. There are no driving restrictions around the lake but campers should stick to designated roads leading to the campgrounds.
Keep an eye out for children playing and pedestrians. As some of the campgrounds are tree-lined, keep an eye out for low-hanging branches and drive cautiously in a big rig.
Once you’ve set up your RV camp at one of the Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds, you can get around on foot, bike, or boat. There are various boat ramps on the lake.
Parking is available at several spots around the lake, including boat and trailer parking near the boat ramps, and in the campgrounds if you’re staying overnight.
Bluff View Campground offers 60 campsites for tents and RVs. Most of the sites have electric and water hookups for RVs. Rigs up to 100 feet long are welcome.
Other facilities for RV camping include a dump station, restrooms with hot showers, a playground, and a boat ramp. There is also a swimming beach and an interpretive trail.
Bluff View Campground is pet-friendly for leashed pets.
Highway K Campground offers 83 campsites for tents and RVs, just a few miles upstream of Clearwater Lake. Located along the Black River, most of the sites have electric hookups and some have water hookups for RVs. Rigs up to 80 feet are welcome here.
Other facilities for RV camping include a dump station, restroom with hot showers, a playground, and a picnic shelter. There is also a swimming beach.
Highway K Campground is pet-friendly for leashed pets.
Piedmont Park offers 97 campsites for tents and RVs on the shores of Clearwater Lake. Most of the sites have electric and water hookups for RVs. Rigs up to 100 feet are welcome.
Other facilities for RV camping include a dump station, restrooms with hot showers, picnic shelters, and a playground. There is also a day-use area, a swimming beach and boat ramp with boat and trailer parking.
Piedmont Park is pet-friendly for leashed pets.
River Road Park offers campsites for tents and RVs just below Clearwater Lake. Most of the campsites have electric and water hookups for RVs.
Other facilities for RV camping include a dump station, restrooms with hot showers, a playground, fish cleaning stations, and picnic shelters. There is also a day-use area and a pretty boardwalk.
River Road Park is pet-friendly for leashed pets.
Webb Creek Campground offers 31 campsites for tents and RVs on Clearwater Lake. There is a choice of electric and non-electric campsites. Each comes with a picnic table. Rigs up to 100 feet and over are welcome here.
Other facilities include a dump station, restrooms with showers, and a playground. There is also a swimming area and a boat ramp.
With 2.5 square miles of lake surface, it’s no surprise that much of the activity around Clearwater Lake is water-based. Bring your own private watercraft from home and launch it at one of the many dedicated boat ramps around the lake. As there are no private boat docks, campers can enjoy boating on this “wilderness lake” and going ashore wherever they choose. Clearwater Lake is a popular spot for power boating, water skiing, sailing, tubing, canoeing, and more. Tube and boat rentals are available.
Enjoy some of the best bass, crappie and catfish angling in Missouri. Other species include bluegill, sunfish and carp. Walleye can be found nearby in the Black River. Clearwater Lake has varying water temperatures throughout the year, each offering a great opportunity for fishing.
Enjoy excellent crappie fishing between April and June and bass fishing at night between July and September. Fish will start feeding in the shallow water in mid-fall. Clearwater is also popular because it doesn’t close so you can fish here year-round. The daily limits include 50 sunfish, 30 crappie, 15 white bass, 10 channel catfish, and five flatheads.
You have five main campgrounds to choose from at Clearwater Lake, all offering picnic areas with lake views. Most of them are located near children’s playgrounds and the swimming beaches. Visit the day-use recreation areas or go for a stroll and find a picnic spot of your own along the shores of the lake. Picnic shelters are available at Piedmont Park and River Road Park and can be reserved through the National Recreation Reservation Service.
If you prefer a more leisurely water sport, such as kayaking and canoeing, you can take to the waters of the Black River beneath the dam. It’s a great spot to go bird watching so pack your birding books and binoculars! As it’s quieter than Clearwater Lake, you may also spot some wildlife along the river banks. Kayak and canoe rentals are available.
There are a host of hiking trails to explore around Clearwater Lake to suit all abilities. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife along the 0.6-mile Bluff View Nature Trail, a loop trail that starts from the campground. Squirrels, wild turkey, and deer are common along the forested trails. There’s also the 0.8-mile Black River Nature Trail leading through the woods. You can opt to continue along the Bottom Land Forest Trail or the Blue Heron Slough Trail from this route too.
Hunting is allowed on project lands around Clearwater Lake. Game species are small and include quail, squirrel, rabbit, wild turkey, doves, and deer. Please note that you will require a valid hunting license from the Missouri Department of Conservation to hunt around the lake. Hunting is not permitted anywhere near public use areas, recreation areas or campgrounds so ensure you stick to the designated areas.
