Madison Lake vs Washington Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Madison Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Washington Lake. Both are in Minnesota.
Madison Lake and Washington 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: Madison Lake and Washington 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.
Madison Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Washington Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Madison Lake | Washington Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 4 ft | 4.5 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 75 µg/L Better | 122 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 27.8 µg/L Better | 51.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 59 ft Better | 51 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,447 acres | 1,516 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 20 Better | 18 |
| 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
Madison Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Washington Lake. Water clarity: 4 ft vs 4.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Madison Lake also leads with 20 species.
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Where to stay near Madison Lake and Washington Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Madison Lake and Washington 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.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.