Long Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota30 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Long Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 28 ft max depth
Long Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 29.79 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2008 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Long Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 20–28 inches. DNR survey details →
Long Lake is a 30-acre mesotrophic lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 28 feet (8-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including black bullhead, green sunfish, and hybrid sunfish. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 31 other monitored lakes in Stearns County, Long Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Long Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Long Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Long Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Long Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft. Phosphorus 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.4 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Long Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2008 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Long Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 20–28 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Long Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2008-06-09 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2008-06-09 (Standard Survey)
18 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 107.38 | 0.07 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 39.20 | 5–7 in 2008-06-09 | 0.1 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 36.92 | 2–7 in 2008-06-09 | 0.21 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 15.80 | 2–9 in 2008-06-09 | 0.07 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 15.63 | 1–5 in 2008-06-09 | 0.06 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.63 | 20–28 in 2008-06-09 | 3.52 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Black Bullhead
Green Sunfish
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
From the 2008-06-09 survey
Fuller Lake is located one mile northwest of Clearwater. It is small, 35 acres, and relatively deep, 28 feet, but subject to winter kill. Although Fuller Lake has no public access, it is of interest because of its location and status as a natural environment lake. This was the first survey since the initial lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Long Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FullerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Fuller (0286)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
28 ft
Average depth
7.7 ft
Surface area
30 acres
Shoreline
0.9 mi
Littoral zone
90%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Long Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Long Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Long Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Long Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Long Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-13.4 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Long Lake
Where is Long Lake?
- Long Lake is a lake in Stearns County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Long Lake?
- Long Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 28 ft. Surface area: 29.79 acres.
Is Long Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Long Lake?
- Long Lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet and an average depth of 7.7 feet. The lake covers 29.79 acres.
What fish are in Long Lake?
- Fish species found in Long Lake include black bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed. Long Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Long Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 9, 2008 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Long Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 20–28 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Long Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Long Lake?
- Public access to Long Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Long Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Stearns County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Sauk River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Long Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
212 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA212 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder