Long Lake vs Potato Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Potato Lake. Both are in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
Both Long Lake and Potato Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. The readings are close: Long Lake and Potato Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings 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
Good clarity, visible to about 11.2 ft.
Potato Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Lake | Potato Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 11.2 ft | 11.5 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L Better | 11 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.5 µg/L | 3.9 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 135 ft Better | 87 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,926 acres | 2,096 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 14 | 15 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | 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 and Potato Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Long Lake: 11.2 ft, Potato Lake: 11.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Long Lake has fewer fish species than Potato Lake.
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Where to stay near Long Lake and Potato Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Long Lake and Potato Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Long Lake and Potato Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.