Little Sand Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota410 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Sand Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 80 ft max depth
- Public access
Little Sand Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 409.51 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2022 caught 0.78 walleye per gill net at Little Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–28 inches. DNR survey details →
Little Sand Lake is a 410-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 80 feet (22-foot average). The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Little Sand Lake ranks #32 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Sand Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water20 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 18
- Deep water80 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Sand Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR 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 Minnesota PCA 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.
Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down. Phosphorus 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.8 µg/L. TSI 34.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 20ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 34 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Little Sand Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Sand Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 62°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (62°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 313 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Sand Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2022 caught 0.78 walleye per gill net at Little Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–28 inches.
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 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-21 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-21 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 11.05 | 3–9 in 2022-06-21 | 0.22 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.27 | 5–8 in 2022-06-21 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.93 | 10–31 in 2022-06-21 | 1.81 lb |
| Walleye | 3.63 | 19–28 in 2022-06-21 | 1.87 lb |
| Rock Bass | 3.25 | 3–10 in 2022-06-21 | 0.38 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 2.88 | 5–13 in 2022-06-21 | 0.59 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Walleye
From the 2022-06-21 survey
Little Sand Lake is located two miles north of Dorset in south central Hubbard County. Little Sand has a surface area of 409 acres and a maximum depth of 80 feet. A DNR owned public access is located on the east shore of the lake off. Access is also available by small craft from Ida Lake. Little Sand provides angling…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Sand Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little SandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Sand (1306)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little SandFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little SandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
80 ft
Average depth
22 ft
Surface area
410 acres
Shoreline
6.4 mi
Littoral zone
36%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
83 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,421 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
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Sand Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota — 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
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Follow Little Sand Lake’s readings
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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)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.01 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.03 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 18
Earliest Apr 2, 2010 · Latest May 6, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 12, 2019 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 23
2020
33 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0150-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Little Sand Lake
Where is Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 20 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 409.51 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 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 313 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 80 feet and an average depth of 22 feet. The lake covers 409.51 acres.
What fish are in Little Sand Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Sand Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern pike (silver phase), pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Sand Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Sand Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 21, 2022 caught 0.78 walleye per gill net at Little Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–28 inches. 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 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Little Sand Lake thaw?
- Little Sand Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 18. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 224 days.
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 Minnesota'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
98 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA98 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate