Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States in northeastern California. It includes about 20,000 acres (81 km2) of open water surrounded by over 26,000 acres (110 km2) of upland bunchgrass, low sagebrush, and juniper habitat. Small, rocky islands in the wetlands provide breeding sites for American white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, and other colony-nesting birds.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 24,228 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 8 |
| Center point | 41.8677, -121.1277 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedMitten Springs Rx
41 mi from the center point
- PrescribedAdin Airport Rx
48 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 7.6 miCarpenter and Paint Shop ↗National Historic Landmark
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
24,228 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in?
California.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 41.868, -121.128. Tule Lake National Monument is 8 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Mitten Springs Rx at 41 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 22 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Tule Lake National Monument (8 mi) and Lava Beds National Monument (17 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Carpenter and Paint Shop.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Description: Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.