Lake St Croix vs Pool
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake St Croix and Pool read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Minnesota.
Lake St Croix and Pool 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 sit close on the readings, Lake St Croix versus Pool. 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.
Lake St Croix
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.2 ft.
Pool
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake St Croix | Pool |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 7.2 ft Better | 5.9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 32.5 µg/L | 31.1 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 78 ft | 78 ft |
| Surface Area | 8,393 acres | 8,393 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 36 | 36 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
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.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade B. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Lake St Croix: 7.2 ft, Pool: 5.9 ft) and what you want from the lake. Lake St Croix matches its peer on species count.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.