Long Lake vs Willmar Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Willmar Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Long Lake. Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Both Long Lake and Willmar 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 Willmar 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
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft.
Willmar Lake
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Lake | Willmar Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 5 ft Better | 2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 92 µg/L | 73 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 42.3 µg/L | 27.6 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 16 ft Better | 14 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,573 acres | 636 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 16 | 18 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
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
Willmar Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Long Lake. Water clarity: 2 ft vs 5 ft. For fishing diversity, Willmar Lake also leads with 18 species.
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Where to stay near Long Lake and Willmar Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Long Lake and Willmar 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.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.