First Crow Wing Lake vs Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than First Crow Wing Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
Both First Crow Wing 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. Long Lake (A) is materially cleaner than First Crow Wing 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 — 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?
First Crow Wing Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft.
Long Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | First Crow Wing Lake | Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 5.9 ft | 11.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | 10 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.9 µg/L | 4.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 15 ft | 135 ft |
| Surface Area | 522 acres | 1,926 acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 14 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
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 First Crow Wing Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 11.2 ft vs 5.9 ft. For more fish-species variety, First Crow Wing Lake edges ahead with 17 documented species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.