Pool of 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 Pool of Lake St Croix (C, Fair). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
Both Pool of Lake St Croix 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 Pool of Lake St Croix (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?
Pool of Lake St Croix
Murky, only visible to about 4.3 ft.
White Bear Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Pool of Lake St Croix | White Bear Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 4.3 ft | 14.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 39.2 µg/L | 15 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | 2.7 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 78 ft | 83 ft |
| Surface Area | 8,393 acres | 2,428 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 36 | 18 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | 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 Pool of Lake St Croix's Grade C. Water clarity: 14.4 ft vs 4.3 ft. For more fish-species variety, Pool of Lake St Croix edges ahead with 36 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.