Long Lake vs Spooner Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake and Spooner Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. 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 differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Long Lake versus Spooner Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 9.5 ft Better | 6.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 17.3 µg/L Better | 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 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.
Swap a lake
Compare Long Lake or Spooner Lake against a different lake.
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.