South Long Lake vs Upper South Long Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
South Long Lake and Upper South Long Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of B (Good). Both are in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Both South Long 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 — South Long Lake (B) 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.
South Long Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft.
Upper South Long Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | South Long Lake | Upper South Long Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 8.5 ft | 6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 24 µg/L | 17 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 47 ft | 47 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.3K 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
Both lakes earn the same Grade B. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (South Long Lake: 8.5 ft, Upper South Long Lake: 6 ft) and what you want from the lake. South Long Lake matches its peer on species count.