Bad Medicine Lake vs Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bad Medicine Lake and Long Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
A
Bad Medicine Lake
Becker County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 25 ft down.
A
Long Lake
Becker County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bad Medicine Lake | Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 25 ft | 20 ft |
| Phosphorus | 6 µg/L | 8 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 84 ft | 61 ft |
| Surface Area | 803.03 acres | 414.51 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 16 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Bad Medicine Lake: 25 ft, Long Lake: 20 ft) and what you want from the lake. Bad Medicine Lake has fewer fish species than Long Lake.