Benedict Lake vs Garfield Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Benedict Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Garfield Lake. Both are in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
Benedict Lake and Garfield 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 readings are close: Benedict Lake and Garfield Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Benedict Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
Garfield Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Benedict Lake | Garfield Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 11.5 ft Better | 9.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 8.5 µg/L Better | 19 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.4 µg/L Better | 4.8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 91 ft Better | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 464 acres | 972 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 Better | 12 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Benedict Lake and Garfield Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Benedict Lake: 11.5 ft, Garfield Lake: 9.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Benedict Lake supports more documented fish species.
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Where to stay near Benedict Lake and Garfield Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.