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.
St. Croix 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: White Bear Lake grades a A while St. Croix Lake grades a C. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
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 Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.7 ft.
White Bear Lake
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 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 fishing diversity, White Bear Lake also leads with 1 species.