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LakeQuality

Green Lake vs South Lindstrom Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

South Lindstrom Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Green Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Chisago County, Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Green Lake and South Lindstrom 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. South Lindstrom Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Green Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.

For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — South Lindstrom Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?

C

Green Lake

Chisago County, Minnesota

Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.

A

South Lindstrom Lake

Chisago County, Minnesota

Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricGreen LakeSouth Lindstrom Lake
Overall GradeC (Fair)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity6 ft5.6 ft
Phosphorus23 µg/L16 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)8.4 µg/L6.1 µg/L
Maximum Depth32 ft34 ft
Surface Area1,809 acres455 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species1514
Trophic Stateeutrophicmesotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

South Lindstrom Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Green Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 5.6 ft vs 6 ft. For more fish-species variety, Green Lake edges ahead with 15 documented species.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.