Pool on 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 on Lake St. Croix (C, Fair). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
Pool on Lake St. Croix and White Bear 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: White Bear Lake grades a A while Pool on Lake St. Croix grades a C. 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 — 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 on Lake St. Croix
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft.
White Bear Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Pool on Lake St. Croix | White Bear Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.9 ft | 15 ft |
| Phosphorus | 32.9 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 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 on Lake St. Croix's Grade C. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 5.9 ft. For fishing diversity, White Bear Lake also leads with 1 species.