Long Lake vs White Bear Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
White Bear Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Long Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Washington County, Minnesota.
Both Long Lake and White Bear Lake sit in Minnesota. 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. The grades are meaningfully apart: White Bear Lake grades a A while Long Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — White Bear Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Long Lake
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility.
White Bear Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Lake | White Bear Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 2.8 ft | 14.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 47.5 µg/L | 15 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 26 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 60 ft | 83 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.8K acres | 2.4K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 12 | 18 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
White Bear Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Long Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 14.4 ft vs 2.8 ft. For fishing diversity, White Bear Lake also leads with 18 species.