Big Lake vs Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Big Lake (B, Good). Both are in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
B
Big Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
A
Long Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Lake | Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 9.5 ft | 20 ft |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | 7 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 35 ft | 87 ft |
| Surface Area | 3.6K acres | 411.95 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| Fish Species | 17 | 11 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Long Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Big Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 20 ft vs 9.5 ft. For more fish-species variety, Big Lake edges ahead with 17 documented species.