Little Sand Lake

Little Sand Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Wisconsin lake of its size and depth. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. The lake bottoms out at 20 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 237 acres, Little Sand Lake fits the Wisconsin median for monitored lakes, with partial shoreline records. Among the 34 graded lakes in Forest County, Little Sand Lake sits at rank 16, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Little Sand Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at Little Sand Lake, one of 4 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Little Sand Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. 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.