Long Lake vs Spooner Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake and Spooner Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of B (Good). Both are in Washburn County, Wisconsin.
Both Long Lake and Spooner Lake sit in Wisconsin. 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Long Lake (B) versus Spooner Lake (B). 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
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Spooner Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Lake | Spooner Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 9.5 ft | 6.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 17.3 µg/L | 22.7 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | 17 ft |
| Surface Area | 3,290 acres | 1,132 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 4 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade B. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Long Lake: 9.5 ft, Spooner Lake: 6.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Long Lake has fewer fish species than Spooner Lake.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.