Long Lake vs St. Clair Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than St. Clair Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
Both Long Lake and St. Clair 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 St. Clair 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?
Long Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down.
St. Clair Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Lake | St. Clair Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 15.1 ft | 4.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 50 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 45 acres | 45 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 0 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | eutrophic |
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 St. Clair Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 15.1 ft vs 4.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Long Lake also leads with 1 species.