Rush Lake vs South Lindstrom Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
South Lindstrom Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Rush Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Chisago County, Minnesota.
Both Rush Lake and South Lindstrom 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. South Lindstrom Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Rush Lake (F). 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 — South Lindstrom 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?
Rush Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
South Lindstrom Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Rush Lake | South Lindstrom Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 3 ft | 5.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 55.5 µg/L | 16 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 31.4 µg/L | 6.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 24 ft | 34 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,494 acres | 455 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 14 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
South Lindstrom Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Rush Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 5.6 ft vs 3 ft. For more fish-species variety, Rush Lake edges ahead with 16 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.