Nokay Lake vs Upper South Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Upper South Long Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Nokay Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Both Nokay Lake and Upper South Long 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. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Nokay Lake (C) versus Upper South Long 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.
Nokay Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.2 ft.
Upper South Long Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Nokay Lake | Upper South Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 8.2 ft | 6 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 17 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft | 47 ft |
| Surface Area | 703.56 acres | 804.31 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Upper South Long Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Nokay Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 6 ft vs 8.2 ft. For fishing diversity, Upper South Long Lake also leads with 1 species.