Chisago Lake vs Green Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Green Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Chisago Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Chisago County, Minnesota.
Chisago 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Chisago Lake (C) versus Green Lake (C). 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.
Chisago Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Green Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Chisago Lake | Green Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 4 ft | 6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 32 µg/L | 26 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.4 µg/L | 6.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 34 ft | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 943.96 acres | 1.8K acres |
| Public Access | No | 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
Green Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Chisago Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 4 ft. For fishing diversity, Green Lake also leads with 1 species.