Calhoun Lake vs Florida Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Florida Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Calhoun Lake. Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Calhoun Lake and Florida 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. Florida Lake reads materially cleaner than Calhoun Lake on nutrients and algae. 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 gap in the readings is decisive: Florida Lake has the lower nutrient and algae numbers. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Calhoun Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Florida Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.3 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Calhoun Lake | Florida Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 6.9 ft | 12.3 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 24 µg/L | 20 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.8 µg/L | 3.8 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 13 ft | 40 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 647 acres | 705 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 18 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | 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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Compare Calhoun Lake or Florida Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Florida Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Calhoun Lake. Water clarity: 12.3 ft vs 6.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Florida Lake also leads with 18 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.