Long Lake

Long Lake grades an F: every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

The hypereutrophic status — TSI 76 — reflects sustained heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed and frequent algal pressure. The lake bottoms out at 35 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. The lake's 487 acres and 9.2 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within the 55 graded lakes of Stearns County, Long Lake sits at rank 48, near the bottom of the county list.

Zebra mussel presence at Long Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. Walleye are documented at Long Lake, one of 23 fish species on record for the lake. 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.