Ml-Garrison Lake vs Smith Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Smith Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Ml-Garrison Lake (B, Good). Both are in Minnesota.
Ml-Garrison Lake and Smith 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 are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Ml-Garrison Lake (B) versus Smith Lake (B). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades 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.
Ml-Garrison Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft.
Smith Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Ml-Garrison Lake | Smith Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 6.2 ft | 12.1 ft |
| Phosphorus | 26 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.7 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 54 ft |
| Surface Area | 128.3K acres | 490.77 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Smith Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Ml-Garrison Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 12.1 ft vs 6.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Smith Lake also leads with 1 species.