Long Lake vs Washburn Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Washburn Lake (A, Excellent). Both are in Cass County, Minnesota.
Long Lake and Washburn Lake are both in Minnesota — 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Long Lake (A) versus Washburn Lake (A). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Long Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 21.5 ft down.
Washburn Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Lake | Washburn Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 21.5 ft | 14 ft |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | 11 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 115 ft | 111 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.0K acres | 1.6K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
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 Washburn Lake's Grade A. Water clarity: 21.5 ft vs 14 ft. For fishing diversity, Long Lake also leads with 1 species.