Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 24, 2023
Species recorded at Big Sand Lake
16 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Big Sand Lake
No stocking record for Big Sand Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Getting on the water
1 public boat landing is recorded on Big Sand Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 24, 2023 caught 9.07 walleye per gill net at Big Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–30 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-24 (Targeted Survey).
15 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-24 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 58.69 | 2–3 in 2023-07-24 | |
| White Sucker | 17.91 | 11–24 in 2023-07-24 | 1.88 lb |
| Walleye | 14.21 | 7–30 in 2023-07-24 | 1.59 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.
Bluntnose Minnow
White Sucker
Walleye
From the 2023-07-24 survey
Big Sand Lake is located seven miles northeast of Park Rapids in central Hubbard County. Big Sand has a surface area of 1,635 acres and a maximum depth of 135 feet. A state owned public access is located on the south shore of the lake off Grouse Road, next to the outlet of the Sand River. Access with small boats is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Big Sand Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Big SandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Big Sand (1289)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big SandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Big Sand Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 24, 2023 caught 9.07 walleye per gill net at Big Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–30 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 16 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Big Sand Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Big Sand Lake is dated July 24, 2023. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Big Sand Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Big Sand Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Big Sand Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Big Sand Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Big Sand Lake
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