Long

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Long Lake was conducted on June 14-16, 2022 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample seven stations, a 15-foot seine was used at threes stations. Nearshore sampling captured 15 species of fish including two species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Blacknose Shiner and Iowa Darter) and six species that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Black bullhead comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and the majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Black Bullhead sampled per net was well above the 75% quartile for similar Lake Class 42 lakes. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a July 2021 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey indicates that the fish community in Long Lake is adversely impacted by stressors as indicated by a FIBI score below the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Rum River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Long is a very fertile, 390 acre lake located in southern Isanti County. Water clarity is generally poor due to high algae densities. Aquatic vegetation is sparse most of the open water season although curly leaf pondweed can be dense in May and early June. With a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of only 5, winterkill occurs periodically on the lake. Following winterkill, gamefish populations are reestablished by stocking, as part of the lake management plan. The lakeshore is highly developed with 211 lake homes and 1 resort. Public access is available on the northeast shore. Spring electrofishing found a slight increase in abundance of Largemouth Bass. Size also increased since 2013 with an average of 15.3 inches and 2 pounds. With most of the 2021 Northern Pike catch coming from the trap nets, comparison to past assessments is not reliable. Sampled Pike did range to 31 inches and averaged 2.5 pounds. Walleye numbers are presently strong. Although most were assigned to stocking some appeared to be from reproduction in Long Lake. Walleye caught during the survey ranged from 6.6 to 21.4 inches and 1 to 5 years of age. Black Crappie numbers, based on the trap net catch, mirrored the 2013 assessment but, like Northern Pike, were less abundant in the gill nets. Crappie ranged from 5 to 9.3 inches with most of the catch between 8 and 9 inches. Bluegill decreased in both number and average size since the 2013 assessment, both slightly lower than typical for the lake. Yellow Perch abundance remains low while Black Bullheads are extremely common. In summary anglers can expect good numbers of good sized Walleye, catchable numbers of quality sized Largemouth Bass, and moderate numbers of acceptable sized Northern Pike and Black Crappie.

Long is a very fertile, 390 acre lake located in southern Isanti County. Water clarity is generally poor due to high algae densities. Aquatic vegetation is sparse most of the open water season although curly-leaf pondweed can be dense in May and early June. With a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of only 5, winterkill occurs periodically on the lake. Following winterkill, gamefish populations are reestablished by stocking as part of the lake management plan. The lakeshore is highly developed with 211 lake homes and 1 resort. Public access is available on both the northeast and west central shores. Spring electrofishing found an increase in abundance of Largemouth Bass. The largest bass captured was 15.1 inches, and 5 of the 13 bass were larger than 12 inches. An increase in the number of smaller bass in this survey bodes well for bass fishing in the future. Northern Pike catch rates and sizes were average when compared to similar lakes. Captured Northern Pike ranged from 15.9 to 39.2 inches with an average length of 24.5 inches. Walleye are present in Long Lake, but catch rates fell to levels well below average when compared to similar lakes. Although, Walleye caught during the survey were above average size, all being between 19 and 22 inches. With no natural reproduction, future Walleye abundance is dependent on the success of Walleye stockings. Black Crappie numbers in Long Lake are much higher than in similar lakes. The largest Black Crappie collected was 9.6 inches and the average length was 7.5 inches. While Black Crappie growth rates were slower than average in Long Lake, the large number of 7 to 8 inch fish observed in this survey should provide ample fishing opportunities in the near future. Bluegill catch rates decreased to below average when compared to similar lakes and were less than a third of that observed in 2004. Bluegill size was similar to the 2009 survey, with an average length of 6.6 inches. The largest Bluegill collected in the survey was 7.7 inches and just over one fourth of the Bluegill were greater than 7 inches. Yellow Perch abundance has remained low and bullhead and White Sucker abundance has increased since the last survey. Provided no severe winterkills occur, Long Lake should provide great fishing opportunities in the years to come.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, and Green Sunfish in Long. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Long. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Long has a maximum depth of 15 feet and a mean depth of 5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Long is from 2022.

Yes — Long has confirmed Eurasian watermilfoil. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.