Benedict Lake vs Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Benedict Lake and Long Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
Benedict Lake and Long 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: Benedict Lake and Long 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.
Benedict Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
Long Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Benedict Lake | Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 11.5 ft Better | 11.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 8.5 µg/L Better | 10 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.4 µg/L Better | 4.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 91 ft | 135 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 464 acres | 1,926 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 Better | 14 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | 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.
Swap a lake
Compare Benedict Lake or Long Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Benedict Lake: 11.5 ft, Long Lake: 11.2 ft) and what you want from the lake. Benedict Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.