St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake vs White Bear Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
White Bear Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake 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. White Bear Lake (A) is materially cleaner than St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake (C). 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 — 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?
St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft.
White Bear Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake | White Bear Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.9 ft | 15 ft |
| Phosphorus | 38 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 St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 5.9 ft. For fishing diversity, White Bear Lake also leads with 1 species.