Little Sand Lake
Little Sand Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 94 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Sand Lake. DNR survey details →
- Clarity
- 4.8 ft
- Max depth
- 39 ft
- Area
- 94 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Barron County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Little Sand Lake is a 94-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Barron County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 39 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 27 other monitored lakes in Barron County, Little Sand Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Little Sand Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft. Phosphorus level: 28.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 28.6 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Little Sand Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Sand Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Little Sand Lake
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Sand Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Little Sand Lake C from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 2010. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Little Sand Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Little Sand Lake muskellunge survey, 2023-2024Musky Survey · WI DNR (PDF)
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 39 ft |
| Surface Area | 94 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Sand LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Sand Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.636 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.16 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.2 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Little Sand Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Little Sand Lake 1 (completed 1940), built primarily for other on the Sand Creek; gravity-type dam, 10 ft tall and 100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 94 ac
- Normal storage
- 200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 800 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Barron County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00928 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.28 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Little Sand Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10005256 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #18 of 28 lakes in Barron County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Little Sand Lake holds Grade C. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Barron County
Frequently asked questions about Little Sand Lake
Where is Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake is a lake in Barron County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 4.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 28.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 39 ft. Surface area: 94 acres.
Is Little Sand Lake safe to swim in?
- Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Little Sand Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 39 feet. The lake covers 94 acres.
What fish are in Little Sand Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Sand Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Little Sand Lake is located in Barron County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Sand Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Sand Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Little Sand Lake C from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Sand Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Little Sand Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Barron County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Wisconsin's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Little Sand Lake
Other Grade C Lakes in Wisconsin
Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Where this data comes from
43 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX43 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory