Chisago Lake vs Green Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Green Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Chisago Lake. 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 sit close on the readings, Chisago Lake versus Green Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 4 ft | 6 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 25.5 µg/L | 23 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 14.9 µg/L | 8.4 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 34 ft Better | 32 ft |
| Surface Area | 944 acres | 1,809 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 14 | 15 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
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.
Swap a lake
Compare Chisago Lake or Green Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Green Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Chisago Lake. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 4 ft. For fishing diversity, Green Lake also leads with 15 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.