Forest 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 Forest Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
Both Forest Lake and White Bear Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. White Bear Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Forest Lake (C). 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 grade gap is decisive — White Bear Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Forest Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft.
White Bear Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Forest Lake | White Bear Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 8 ft | 15 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 15 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 37 ft | 83 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.3K acres | 2.4K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
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 Forest Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 8 ft. For fishing diversity, White Bear Lake also leads with 1 species.