Little Long Lake

Little Long Lake sits at the top of the Minnesota PCA grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Minnesota. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Trophically, Little Long Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. Little Long Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 61 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. At 305 acres, Little Long Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 7.4 miles of shoreline. Within Itasca County's 141 graded waters, Little Long Lake sits at rank 22, near the top of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Little Long Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Little Long Lake, one of 11 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Little Long Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.