Big Kandiyohi Lake vs Elizabeth Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Kandiyohi Lake has a higher water quality grade (D, Poor) than Elizabeth Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Both Big Kandiyohi Lake and Elizabeth Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Big Kandiyohi Lake (D) versus Elizabeth Lake (F). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades 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.
Big Kandiyohi Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft.
Elizabeth Lake
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Kandiyohi Lake | Elizabeth Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 5.2 ft | 2.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 145 µg/L | 111 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 18 ft | 9 ft |
| Surface Area | 2.7K acres | 1.0K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Big Kandiyohi Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade D versus Elizabeth Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 5.2 ft vs 2.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Big Kandiyohi Lake also leads with 1 species.