East Solomon Lake vs Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
East Solomon Lake and Long Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Both East Solomon Lake and Long Lake sit in Minnesota. 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — East Solomon Lake (F) versus Long Lake (F). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades 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.
East Solomon Lake
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility.
Long Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | East Solomon Lake | Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.6 ft | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 79 µg/L | 92 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 44.7 µg/L | 42.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 14 ft | 16 ft |
| Surface Area | 658 acres | 1,573 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 16 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade F. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (East Solomon Lake: 2.6 ft, Long Lake: 5 ft) and what you want from the lake. East Solomon Lake has fewer fish species than Long Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.