Lake St. Croix vs White Bear Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
White Bear Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lake St. Croix (B, Good). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
B
Lake St. Croix
Washington County, Minnesota
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft.
A
White Bear Lake
Washington County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake St. Croix | White Bear Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.2 ft | 15 ft |
| Phosphorus | 18 µg/L | 15 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 78 ft | 83 ft |
| Surface Area | 8.4K acres | 2.4K acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 36 | 18 |
| 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 Lake St. Croix's Grade B. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 5.2 ft. For more fish-species variety, Lake St. Croix edges ahead with 36 documented species.