Lake Wissota vs Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Lake Wissota. Both are in Chippewa County, Wisconsin.
Lake Wissota and Long Lake are both in Wisconsin — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The readings are meaningfully apart: Long Lake carries clearly lower phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings than Lake Wissota. A spread that wide reflects real underlying differences, in watershed inputs, depth profiles, or monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider gap in the readings is decisive: Long Lake has the lower nutrient and algae numbers. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Lake Wissota
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft.
Long Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Wissota | Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 3.5 ft | 13.1 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 76.4 µg/L | 12.4 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 64.4 ft | 101 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 6,148 acres | 936 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 8 Better | 6 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | 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.
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Verdict
Long Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Lake Wissota. Water clarity: 13.1 ft vs 3.5 ft. For more fish-species variety, Lake Wissota edges ahead with 8 documented species.
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Where to stay near Lake Wissota and Long Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.