Green Lake vs South Stanchfield Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Green Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than South Stanchfield Lake. Both are in Isanti County, Minnesota.
Green Lake and South Stanchfield 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: Green Lake and South Stanchfield 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.
Green Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.7 ft.
South Stanchfield Lake
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Green Lake | South Stanchfield Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 4.7 ft Better | 2.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 48 µg/L Better | 119 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 16.4 µg/L Better | 32 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 28 ft Better | 17 ft |
| Surface Area | 833 acres | 411 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 Better | 14 |
| 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.
Verdict
Green Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than South Stanchfield Lake. Water clarity: 4.7 ft vs 2.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Green Lake also leads with 15 species.
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Where to stay near Green Lake and South Stanchfield Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.