Big Lake vs Whitewater Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Lake and Whitewater Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Both Big Lake and Whitewater Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Big Lake versus Whitewater Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Big Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.2 ft.
Whitewater Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Lake | Whitewater Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 8.2 ft | 14 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L Better | 14.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.9 µg/L | 1.8 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 22 ft | 73 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,904 acres | 1,212 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 8 | 15 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Big Lake or Whitewater Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Big Lake: 8.2 ft, Whitewater Lake: 14 ft) and what you want from the lake. Big Lake has fewer fish species than Whitewater Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.