Pool 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 (B, Good). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
Pool 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Pool (B) versus White Bear Lake (A). 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.
Pool
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft.
White Bear Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Pool | White Bear Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.9 ft | 14.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 31.1 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 | No | 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's Grade B. Water clarity: 14.4 ft vs 5.9 ft. For more fish-species variety, Pool edges ahead with 36 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.