Calhoun Lake vs Green Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Green Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Calhoun Lake. Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Calhoun Lake and Green 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. Green 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: Green 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.
Green Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Calhoun Lake | Green Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 6.9 ft | 14.1 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 24 µg/L | 14 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.8 µg/L | 4 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 13 ft | 110 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 647 acres | 5,569 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 22 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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Verdict
Green Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Calhoun Lake. Water clarity: 14.1 ft vs 6.9 ft. For fishing diversity, Green Lake also leads with 22 species.
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Where to stay near Calhoun Lake and Green Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.