Lake St. Croix vs St. Croix Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Lake St. Croix has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than St. Croix Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
Lake St. Croix and St. Croix 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 — Lake St. Croix (B) versus St. Croix Lake (C). 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.
Lake St. Croix
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft.
St. Croix Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake St. Croix | St. Croix Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 5.2 ft | 8.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 18 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 78 ft | 78 ft |
| Surface Area | 8.4K acres | 8.4K acres |
| Public Access | No | No |
| 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
Lake St. Croix wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus St. Croix Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 5.2 ft vs 8.7 ft. For fishing diversity, Lake St. Croix also leads with 1 species.