Greenwood Lake vs Tom Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Tom Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Greenwood Lake. Both are in Cook County, Minnesota.
Both Greenwood Lake and Tom Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Greenwood Lake versus Tom Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Greenwood Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down.
Tom Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Greenwood Lake | Tom Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 15.1 ft Better | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | 8 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.6 µg/L Better | 4.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 112 ft Better | 35 ft |
| Surface Area | 2,043 acres | 404 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 Better | 5 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
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
Greenwood Lake and Tom Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Greenwood Lake: 15.1 ft, Tom Lake: 9 ft) and what you want from the lake. Greenwood Lake supports more documented fish species.
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Where to stay near Greenwood Lake and Tom Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Greenwood Lake and Tom Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Greenwood Lake and Tom Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.