How come water appears green in lakes but is really clear?

Question

I live on a lake and I know that the water is clear but why does it always look green?

Answer 1

duh...water reflects whatever is around it..the ocean is not actually blue but the sky is. So its likely that the lake is surrounded by trees which it reflects and it also may have algea in it

Answer 2

could be from minerals or plant matter that has stained the water a greensih tinge.

Answer 3

Celestis, does not know what she is talking about.

Algae growth is why you see green.  If you take a white bucket, and fill it with tap water, then with lake water, you can actually see the algae.

Answer 4

There is  algea that is barely visible if you scoop the water with your hand, but the more water you have in a container (the lakebed being the container), the more algea you see. It's a cumulative effect.