What is the difference between Clear Lake and White Bear Lake?

Clear Lake (Washington County) carries readings with 6.2 ft clarity and 28 ft max depth. White Bear Lake (Washington County) carries readings with 14.4 ft clarity and 83 ft max depth.

Is Clear Lake or White Bear Lake better for fishing?

Clear Lake has 14 documented fish species. White Bear Lake has 18. The lake with more species and better water clarity (Secchi depth) generally supports more diverse and successful fishing.

Clear Lake vs White Bear Lake, Water Quality Comparison

White Bear Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Clear Lake. Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated Aug 26, 2026

Clear Lake and White Bear 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. White Bear Lake reads materially cleaner than Clear Lake on nutrients and algae. A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.

For a recreational visitor, the wider gap in the readings is decisive: White Bear Lake has the lower nutrient and algae numbers. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?

Clear Lake

Washington County, Minnesota

Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft.

White Bear Lake

Washington County, Minnesota

Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft.

Stay near White Bear Lake →Swap a lake

Side-by-Side Metrics

Metric	Clear Lake	White Bear Lake
Water Clarity	6.2 ft	14.4 ft Better
Phosphorus	33 µg/L	15 µg/L Better
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	6.9 µg/L	2.7 µg/L Better
Maximum Depth	28 ft	83 ft Better
Surface Area	429 acres	2,428 acres
Public Access	Yes	Yes
Fish Species	14	18 Better
Trophic State	eutrophic	mesotrophic

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 Clear Lake or White Bear Lake against a different lake.

Clear Lake vs Forest Lake Pool of Lake St Croix vs White Bear Lake Pool vs White Bear Lake Big Carnelian Lake vs White Bear Lake Forest Lake vs White Bear Lake Long Lake vs White Bear Lake

Verdict

White Bear Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Clear Lake. Water clarity: 14.4 ft vs 6.2 ft. For fishing diversity, White Bear Lake also leads with 18 species.

Stays via Stay22

Where to stay near Clear Lake and White Bear Lake

Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Clear Lake and White Bear Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Clear Lake and White Bear Lake

Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip to Clear Lake and White Bear Lake?

Get lake water-quality updates plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Clear Lake and White Bear Lake — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Full Clear Lake report →Full White Bear Lake report →All Washington County lakes →Cleanest lakes in Minnesota →

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.