Long Meadow Lake vs Minnetonka Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Minnetonka Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Long Meadow Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Long Meadow Lake and Minnetonka Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The grades are meaningfully apart: Minnetonka Lake grades a B while Long Meadow Lake grades a F. 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 — Minnetonka 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 Meadow Lake
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility.
Minnetonka Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Meadow Lake | Minnetonka Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 1.6 ft | 9.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 27 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | 113 ft |
| Surface Area | 530 acres | 14.2K acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 0 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Minnetonka Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Long Meadow Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 9.5 ft vs 1.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Minnetonka Lake also leads with 1 species.