Big Long Lake vs Oliver Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Long Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Oliver Lake (C, Fair). Both are in LaGrange County, Indiana.
Both Big Long Lake and Oliver Lake sit in Indiana. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. Big Long Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Oliver Lake (C). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Big Long Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Big Long Lake
No clarity data.
Oliver Lake
No clarity data.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Long Lake | Oliver Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) Better | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | No data | No data |
| Phosphorus | 22 µg/L | 12.5 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4 µg/L | 3 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 392 acres | 390 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| 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.
Verdict
Big Long Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Oliver Lake's Grade C. For fishing diversity, Big Long Lake also leads with 0 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.