Long Lake is a large interdunal wetland

Interdunal wetland

An interdunal wetland or interdunal pond is a water-filled depression between coastal sand dunes. It may be formed either by wind erosion or by dunal encroachment on an existing wetland...

 in the Indiana Dunes region of Northwest Indiana. It was originally approximately 8 miles in length, but has been shortened due to development and drainage. It has a surface area of 34 hectares, and a maximum depth of 1.8 meters. There are three small islands, and the total shoreline length is 4.6 kilometers. .

Long Lake is bisected by a major local arterial road, County Line Road. The eastern portion of the lake lies in Porter County

Porter County, Indiana

Porter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 164,343. Much of the population growth has to do with the expansion of the Chicago Metropolitan Area eastward into Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso...

 (in the town of Ogden Dunes

Ogden Dunes, Indiana

Ogden Dunes is a town in Portage Township, Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,110 at the 2000 census. It is named for Francis A. Ogden, who owned the land there before his death in 1914.-History:...

), and the western portion in Lake County

Lake County, Indiana

Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2010, its population was 496,005, making it Indiana's second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point. This county is part of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area. The county contains a mix of urban,...

 (in the Miller Beach

Miller Beach

Miller Beach is a community on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. Originally an independent town first settled in 1851, Miller was annexed by the city of Gary, Indiana in 1918...

 neighborhood in Gary

Gary, Indiana

Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...

). The vast majority of Long Lake is within the boundaries of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore located in northwest Indiana and managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966. The national lakeshore runs for nearly along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, from Gary, Indiana, on the west to Michigan...

, although a small area at the eastern end in Ogden Dunes is used by the American Water

American Water (company)

thumb|right|350px|The Iowa American Water Company plant in [[Davenport, Iowa]] on the banks of the [[Mississippi River]]American Water is a public utility company operating in the United States and Canada...

 company for a water purification plant

Along the southern edge of the lake the Norfolk Southern railway, South Shore Line railway, and U.S. Route 12

U.S. Route 12

U.S. Route 12 or US 12 is an east–west United States highway, running from Grays Harbor on the Pacific Ocean, in the state of Washington, to downtown Detroit, for almost . As a thoroughfare, it has mostly been supplanted by I-90 and I-94, but remains an important road for local travel.The...

 highway run in parallel. The north side of Long Lake was formerly traversed by the Indiana Harbor Belt railway. That railway has now been replaced by the Marquette Trail and Long Lake Trail, multi-use trails used by cyclists, hikers and birdwatchers.

History

In the 19th century, the ice of Long Lake furnished a livelihood for early inhabitants of the small town of Miller, which later became Miller Beach; ice was harvested from the lake and shipped to market by rail. The ice also provided a surface for ice-skating between Miller and Baillytown. A recreational fishery also flourished on the lake in the early 20th century, when a more diverse biota was present than today, including largemouth bass

Largemouth bass

The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...

 and yellow perch

Yellow perch

The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...

.

In 1920s, the construction of County Line Road separated the western portion of Long Lake from the larger, deeper eastern portion. No culvert connects the two halves; as a result, fish and many aquatic plants are periodically killed off when the western portion dries out during dry summer weather.

Flora and fauna

The shores of the western section of Long Lake are dominated by monospecific stands of cattails. The eastern section is dominated by more diverse successional growth. In summer, the open water is almost completely covered by pond lilies and water lilies

Water lily

The phrase "water lily" is used to describe aquatic plants of the following families, which have lily pads:* Nymphaeaceae* Nelumbonaceae , also called "lotus"Water lily may also refer to:...

.

Occasional fish kills, which occurred in 1990 and 2000, have reduced the number of species present in the lake. Species found in recent surveys have included green sunfish

Green sunfish

The green sunfish is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. A panfish popular with anglers, the green sunfish is also kept as an aquarium fish by hobbyists. They are usually caught by accident, while fishing for other game fish...

, bluegill

Bluegill

The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...

, black bullhead

Black bullhead

The black bullhead, Ameiurus melas, is a species of bullhead catfish. Like other bullhead catfish, it has the ability to thrive in waters that are low in oxygen, brackish, turbid and/or very warm. It also has barbels located near its mouth, a broad head, spiny fins and no scales...

, golden shiner

Golden shiner

The golden shiner is a cyprinid fish native to eastern North America. It is the sole member of its genus. Much used as a bait fish, it is probably the most widely pond-cultured fish in the United States.-Description:...

, common carp

Common carp

The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...

 and fathead minnow

Fathead minnow

The fathead minnow , is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the Pimephales genus of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North America, from central Canada south along the Rockies to Texas, and east to Virginia and the Northeastern United...

.

Amphibians found in and near Long Lake include the tiger salamander

Tiger Salamander

The Tiger Salamander is a species of Mole Salamander. The proper common name is the Eastern Tiger Salamander, to differentiate from other closely related species.-Description:...

, blue-spotted salamander

Blue-spotted Salamander

The Blue-spotted salamander, or Ambystoma laterale, is a mole salamander native to the Great Lakes states and northeastern United States, and parts of Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Their range is known to extend to James Bay to the north, and southeastern Manitoba to the west.-Description:These...

, chorus frog

Chorus frog

Chorus frogs are a genus of frogs in the Hylidae family, and are found in North America on both sides of the Rocky Mountains from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Gulf of Mexico....

, spring peeper

Spring Peeper

The Spring Peeper is a small chorus frog widespread throughout the eastern USA and Canada.-Subspecies:There are two subspecies of the Spring Peeper, the Northern and the Southern Spring Peeper . The Northern is similar to the Southern except for a strong dark marking on the Southern frog's belly...

, American toad

American toad

The American Toad is a common species of toad found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. It is divided into three subspecies—the Eastern American Toad , the Dwarf American Toad , and the rare Hudson Bay Toad...

, Fowler's toad, green frog

Green frog

The Green Frog is a species of frog native to the eastern half of the United States and Canada. There are two subspecies—the Bronze Frog and the Northern Green Frog.-Description:...

 and bullfrog

Bullfrog

The American bullfrog , often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is an aquatic frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or “true frogs”, native to much of North America. This is a frog of larger, permanent water bodies, swamps, ponds, and lakes, where it is usually found...

. Reptiles include the snapping turtle

Snapping turtle

The common snapping turtle is a large freshwater turtle of the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia and Florida and as far southwest as northeastern Mexico...

, common musk turtle, painted turtle

Painted Turtle

The painted turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to Louisiana and northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The turtle is the only species of the genus Chrysemys, which is part of the pond turtle...

, common garter snake

Common Garter Snake

The Common Garter Snake is a snake indigenous to North America. Most garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a brown or green background and their average length is about , maximum about .-Subspecies:...

, racer, Eastern hognose snake

Eastern Hognose Snake

The Eastern Hognose Snake is a harmless colubrid species found in North America. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Geographic range:...

, and six-lined racerunner. There has been an unconfirmed sighting of the rare Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake near Long Lake as well, and the slender glass lizard

Slender glass lizard

The Slender Glass Lizard, is a legless lizard which can attain a length of up to 1 meter. Two subspecies are recognised.- Subspecies :*Western Slender Glass Lizard, Ophisaurus attenuatus attenuatus...

is found nearby.

Long Lake is a popular stopover for migratory birds. Warblers nesting in nearby forests also often forage along the shoreline.