Little Sand Lake
Barron County, Wisconsin94 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Sand Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Cause unknown
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
Little Sand Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. 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 →
Little Sand Lake is a 94-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Barron County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 39 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Sand Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
- Deep water39 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Sand Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Sand Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Little Sand Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Little Sand Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.8 ft. Phosphorus 28.6 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 28.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Little Sand Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Sand Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
Max depth
39 ft
Surface area
94 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,237 ft
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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Sand Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Sand Lake
- → Little Sand Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Sand Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Sand Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Sand Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.16 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.2 µg/L/yr2 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10005256 · Official waterbody report
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. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Sand Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for cause unknown. Check local advisories before you swim.
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 water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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.
Can I fish at Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Little Sand Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from 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