Florida Lake vs Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Florida Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Long Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Both Florida 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: Florida Lake grades a A while Long Lake grades a F. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Florida 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?
Florida Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.3 ft.
Long Lake
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Florida Lake | Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 12.3 ft | 5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | 92 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.8 µg/L | 42.3 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 40 ft | 16 ft |
| Surface Area | 705 acres | 1,573 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 18 | 16 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Florida Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Long Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 12.3 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Florida Lake also leads with 18 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.