North Center Lake vs Sunrise Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sunrise Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than North Center Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Chisago County, Minnesota.
North Center Lake and Sunrise 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Sunrise Lake grades a A while North Center Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Sunrise 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?
North Center Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Sunrise Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | North Center Lake | Sunrise Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 3 ft | 8.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 40 µg/L | 9.4 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 18 µg/L | 2.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 46 ft | 21 ft |
| Surface Area | 749 acres | 796 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 15 | 10 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Sunrise Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus North Center Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 8.4 ft vs 3 ft. For more fish-species variety, North Center Lake edges ahead with 15 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.