Big Mckenzie Lake vs Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Mckenzie Lake and Long Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Washburn County, Wisconsin.
Both Big Mckenzie Lake and Long Lake sit in Wisconsin. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Big Mckenzie Lake versus Long Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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.
Big Mckenzie Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft.
Long Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Mckenzie Lake | Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 10 ft Better | 9.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 16.7 µg/L Better | 17.3 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 71 ft | - |
| Surface Area | 1,129 acres | 3,290 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 7 Better | 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.
Swap a lake
Compare Big Mckenzie Lake or Long Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade B. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Big Mckenzie Lake: 10 ft, Long Lake: 9.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Big Mckenzie Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.