Greenwood Lake vs Sand Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sand Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Greenwood Lake. Both are in Lake County, Minnesota.
Greenwood Lake and Sand 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. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Greenwood Lake versus Sand 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
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility.
Sand Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Greenwood Lake | Sand Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 2.1 ft | 4.1 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 27.5 µg/L | 22 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.9 µg/L Better | 8 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 7 ft | 11 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 1,329 acres | 486 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 7 | 9 Better |
| 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.
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Verdict
Greenwood Lake and Sand Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Greenwood Lake: 2.1 ft, Sand Lake: 4.1 ft) and what you want from the lake. Greenwood Lake has fewer fish species than Sand Lake.
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Where to stay near Greenwood Lake and Sand Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Greenwood Lake and Sand 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 Sand Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.