Spring Lake vs St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Spring Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Minnesota.
Spring Lake and St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr 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. St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Spring 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 — St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr 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?
Spring Lake
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility.
St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Spring Lake | St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 2.1 ft | 9.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 30 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 17 ft | 78 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.5K acres | 8.4K 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
St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Spring Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 9.4 ft vs 2.1 ft. For fishing diversity, St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake also leads with 1 species.