Little Sand Lake
Little Sand Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 20 ft
- Typical in August
- 60°F
- Max depth
- 80 ft
- Area
- 410 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 18
- Open water
- 224 days
Next lake in Hubbard County
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). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 20 ft down. Phosphorus level: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 34.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 20 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay 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.
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Water Temperature
Little Sand Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 80 ft |
| Average Depth | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 410 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6.4 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 36% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Sand LakePublic
- Big Sand LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Sand Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-21 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 11.05 | 0.22 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.27 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.93 | 1.81 lb |
| Walleye | 3.63 | 1.87 lb |
| Rock Bass | 3.25 | 0.38 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 2.88 | 0.59 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.097 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.01 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.03 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (33 observations).
Estimated open water season: 224 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2010-04-02 (2010) | 2008-05-06 (2008) |
| Ice-In | 2019-11-12 (2019) | 2001-12-20 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2020-04-23
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
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0150-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #32 of 68 lakes in Hubbard County
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Little Sand Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Little Sand Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.8 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in August, 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.
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 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Sand Lake, Big Sand Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Little Sand Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
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)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate