Rush Lake vs Sunrise Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sunrise Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Rush Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Chisago County, Minnesota.
Rush 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. Sunrise Lake (B) is materially cleaner than Rush Lake (D). 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 — 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?
Rush Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Sunrise Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Rush Lake | Sunrise Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 3 ft | 7.7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 61 µg/L | 14.7 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 29.5 µg/L | 3.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 24 ft | 21 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.5K acres | 795.69 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| 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
Sunrise Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Rush Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 7.7 ft vs 3 ft. For fishing diversity, Sunrise Lake also leads with 1 species.