St. Croix 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 Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
C
St. Croix Lake
Washington County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.7 ft.
A
White Bear Lake
Washington County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | St. Croix Lake | White Bear Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 8.7 ft | 15 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 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 | 36 | 18 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | 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 Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15 ft vs 8.7 ft. For more fish-species variety, St. Croix Lake edges ahead with 36 documented species.