Long Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Long Lake pulls an A: clarity at 16.7 ft and 8 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Minnesota. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Trophically, Long Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. At 72 ft of maximum depth, Long Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. Long Lake covers 155 acres alongside 4.6 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Long Lake ranks 2 of 141 in Itasca 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 is bass-led, with 10 documented species across the lake's records. A documented public access point at 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.