Chisago Lake vs Sunrise Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sunrise Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Chisago Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Chisago County, Minnesota.
Chisago Lake and Sunrise Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Chisago Lake (C) versus Sunrise Lake (B). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades 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.
Chisago Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Sunrise Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Chisago Lake | Sunrise Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 4 ft | 7.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 32 µg/L | 14.7 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.4 µg/L | 3.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 34 ft | 21 ft |
| Surface Area | 943.96 acres | 795.69 acres |
| Public Access | No | No |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Sunrise Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Chisago Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 7.7 ft vs 4 ft. For fishing diversity, Sunrise Lake also leads with 1 species.