North Long Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota6,190 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for North Long Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 97 ft max depth
- Public access
North Long Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 97 ft. Surface area: 6190.33 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 2.67 walleye per gill net at North Long Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–25 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of North Long Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 90 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
North Long Lake is a 6,190-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 97 feet. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, North Long Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 6,200 acres, North Long Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 18, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around North Long Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What North Long Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 18
- Deep water97 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water6,190 acres
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. North Long Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether North 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 North Long Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for North Long Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/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. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about North Long Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for North Long Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (139,316 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 2.67 walleye per gill net at North Long Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows North Long Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
27 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-11 (Targeted Survey).
27 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-11 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 44.97 | ||
| Bluntnose Minnow | 38.26 | ||
| Bluegill | 30.71 | 2–9 in 2024-07-22 | 0.16 lb |
| Walleye | 15.01 | 5–25 in 2025-09-11 | 1.51 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 13.13 | 5–18 in 2024-07-22 | 0.78 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.
Bluegill
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-09-11 survey
North Long Lake is stocked annually with 3.9 million Walleye fry. Fingerling stocking is done on a contingency basis as needed or as surplus when fish are available and was last done in 2024. Night electrofishing was conducted on September 11th, 2025, to monitor the abundance of young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleyes. Total…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for North Long Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — North LongFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — North Long (0444)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — North LongFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — North LongPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
97 ft
Surface area
6,190 acres
Shoreline
20.1 mi
Littoral zone
63%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
38 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,181 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- North Long Lake, MerrifieldPublic
- North Long Lake (South)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near North Long Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near North Long Lake in Crow Wing 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 North Long Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing North Long Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 18
Earliest Apr 1, 2010 · Latest May 13, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 9, 1959 · Latest Dec 24, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2025
84 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
North 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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0372-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about North Long Lake
Where is North Long Lake?
- North Long Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of North Long Lake?
- North Long Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 97 ft. Surface area: 6190.33 acres.
Is North Long Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. North Long Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is North Long Lake?
- North Long Lake has a maximum depth of 97 feet. The lake covers 6190.33 acres.
What fish are in North Long Lake?
- Fish species found in North Long Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. North Long Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at North Long Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 2.67 walleye per gill net at North Long Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows North Long Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does North Long Lake thaw?
- North Long Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 220 days.
Does North Long Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for North Long Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (139,316 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on North Long Lake?
- North Long Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include North Long Lake, Merrifield, North Long Lake (South). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at North Long Lake?
- North Long Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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 North Long Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
267 measurements from 6 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
MNPCA267 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
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
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate