Long Lake

Long Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season.

A TSI near 43 places Long Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake's 116 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. The lake's 435 acres and 5.5 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Long Lake ranks 10 of 53 in Aitkin County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

No invasive species are currently listed at Long Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 16 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 10 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 18. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.