Long Lake

Long Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. The lake bottoms out at 34 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 346 acres, Long Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 9.2 miles of shoreline. Within Itasca County's 141 graded lakes, Long Lake ranks 105 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

No invasive species are currently listed at Long Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 14 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.