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George Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Linwood Lake. Both are in Anoka County, Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

George Lake and Linwood 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. The readings are close: George Lake and Linwood Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.

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.

George Lake

Anoka County, Minnesota

Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.3 ft.

Linwood Lake

Anoka County, Minnesota

Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricGeorge LakeLinwood Lake
Water Clarity7.3 ft Better3.9 ft
Phosphorus22 µg/L Better42.5 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)8.3 µg/L Better19.1 µg/L
Maximum Depth32 ft42 ft Better
Surface Area489 acres572 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species1213 Better
Trophic Statemesotrophiceutrophic

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

George Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Linwood Lake. Water clarity: 7.3 ft vs 3.9 ft. For more fish-species variety, Linwood Lake edges ahead with 13 documented species.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.