North Long Lake vs Red Sand Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
North Long Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Red Sand Lake (B, Good). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Both North Long Lake and Red Sand 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 — North Long Lake (A) versus Red Sand 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.
North Long Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down.
Red Sand Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | North Long Lake | Red Sand Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 15.1 ft | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | 23 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 97 ft | 23 ft |
| Surface Area | 6.2K acres | 521.38 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 18 | 10 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
North Long Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Red Sand Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 15.1 ft vs 9 ft. For fishing diversity, North Long Lake also leads with 18 species.