East Sarah Lake

East Sarah Lake earns a D — measurements through 2024 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. The lake's 59 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. East Sarah Lake covers 557 acres alongside 7.5 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. East Sarah Lake ranks 46 of 95 in Hennepin County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at East Sarah Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. Walleye are documented at East Sarah Lake, one of 13 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 11 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 3. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.