Long Island Lake vs Pike Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Pike Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Long Island Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Cook County, Minnesota.
Both Long Island Lake and Pike 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. Pike Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Long Island 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 — Pike 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?
Long Island Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.1 ft.
Pike Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 17.4 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Island Lake | Pike Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 9.1 ft | 17.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 7 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 85 ft | 45 ft |
| Surface Area | 883.53 acres | 814.43 acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 7 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Pike Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Long Island Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 17.4 ft vs 9.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Pike Lake also leads with 7 species.