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Coon-Sandwick Lake and Sandwick Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Itasca County, Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Coon-Sandwick Lake and Sandwick Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two sit close on the readings, Coon-Sandwick Lake versus Sandwick Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.

With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.

Coon-Sandwick Lake

Itasca County, Minnesota

Good clarity, visible to about 10.7 ft.

Sandwick Lake

Itasca County, Minnesota

Good clarity, visible to about 11.6 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricCoon-Sandwick LakeSandwick Lake
Water Clarity10.7 ft11.6 ft Better
Phosphorus15 µg/L11 µg/L Better
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)3.6 µg/L Better3.7 µg/L
Maximum Depth36 ft36 ft
Surface Area594 acres594 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species99
Trophic Statemesotrophicmesotrophic

A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.

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Compare Coon-Sandwick Lake or Sandwick Lake against a different lake.

Verdict

Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Coon-Sandwick Lake: 10.7 ft, Sandwick Lake: 11.6 ft) and what you want from the lake. Coon-Sandwick Lake matches its peer on species count.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.