Wilson Lake vs Windy Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Windy Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Wilson Lake. Both are in Lake County, Minnesota.
Both Wilson Lake and Windy 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, Wilson Lake versus Windy 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.
Wilson Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.7 ft.
Windy Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Wilson Lake | Windy Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 10.7 ft Better | 5.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 13.5 µg/L | 11 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | 2.1 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 53 ft Better | 39 ft |
| Surface Area | 650 acres | 456 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 4 | 7 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | 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
Wilson Lake and Windy Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Wilson Lake: 10.7 ft, Windy Lake: 5.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Wilson Lake has fewer fish species than Windy Lake.
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Where to stay near Wilson Lake and Windy Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Wilson Lake and Windy 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 Wilson Lake and Windy Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.