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LakeQuality

Clear Lake vs White Bear Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

White Bear Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Clear Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.

C

Clear Lake

Washington County, Minnesota

Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft.

A

White Bear Lake

Washington County, Minnesota

Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricClear LakeWhite Bear Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity6.2 ft15 ft
Phosphorus33 µg/L15 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth28 ft83 ft
Surface Area428.95 acres2.4K acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species1418
Trophic Stateeutrophicmesotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

White Bear Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Clear Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 6.2 ft. For fishing diversity, White Bear Lake also leads with 18 species.