Cottonwood Lake vs Wood Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Cottonwood Lake and Wood Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Both are in Minnesota.
F
Cottonwood Lake
Lyon County, Minnesota
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility.
F
Wood Lake
Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cottonwood Lake | Wood Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 1.8 ft | 3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 186 µg/L | 220 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 7 ft | 9 ft |
| Surface Area | 382.6 acres | 484.68 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 | 11 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade F. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Cottonwood Lake: 1.8 ft, Wood Lake: 3 ft) and what you want from the lake. Cottonwood Lake has fewer fish species than Wood Lake.