Elkhorn Lake vs Green Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Elkhorn Lake and Green Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Both Elkhorn Lake and Green Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Elkhorn Lake (A) versus Green Lake (A). 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.
Elkhorn Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft.
Green Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Elkhorn Lake | Green Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 14.1 ft | 13.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | 14 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 72 acres | 5.6K acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Elkhorn Lake: 14.1 ft, Green Lake: 13.1 ft) and what you want from the lake. Elkhorn Lake matches its peer on species count.