Long Lake
Long Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 152.71 acres.
- Clarity
- 14 ft
- Max depth
- 46 ft
- Area
- 153 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Stearns County
Why Long Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Long Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Long Lake is a 153-acre lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 46 feet (19-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-07. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Long Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay 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
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 46 ft |
| Average Depth | 19.3 ft |
| Surface Area | 153 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 60% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Fish LakePublic
- Clear LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Long Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2010-08-02 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| BCS | 46.36 | — |
| Bluegill | 20.14 | 0.14 lb |
| BKF | 9.47 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 8.40 | 0.65 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.45 | 1.24 lb |
| BNS | 6.68 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2010-08-02 survey
Long Lake is a recreational lake located near the town of Cold Spring in Stearns County. The lake was first surveyed in 1960. Between 1908 and 1948, Long Lake has been occasionally stocked with pike, bass, crappie, and sunfish. Walleye fingerlings were also stocked in1950. Bullhead were removed in 1965-66. In 2010,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Long Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — LongFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.141 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.04 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.05 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Long Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN73-0106-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.22 km)
Graded lakes near Long Lake
Long Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Long Lake
What is the water quality grade for Long Lake?
- Long Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 152.71 acres.
Is Long Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Long Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Long Lake?
- Long Lake has a maximum depth of 46 feet and an average depth of 19.3 feet. The lake covers 152.71 acres.
What fish are in Long Lake?
- Fish species found in Long Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead. Long Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Long Lake?
- Long Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Fish Lake, Clear Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
80 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA80 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory