Little Sand Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota210 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Sand Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 44 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Sand Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 209.75 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2018 caught 4.33 northern pike per gill net at Little Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–37 inches. DNR survey details →
Little Sand Lake is a 210-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 44 feet. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-06-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Little Sand Lake covers about 210 acres in Itasca County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Little Sand Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Little Sand Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Deep water44 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. 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.
Murky, only visible to about 5.4 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.5 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.5µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Sand Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2018 caught 4.33 northern pike per gill net at Little Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–37 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-07-09 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2018-07-09 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 10.60 | 3–9 in 2018-07-09 | 0.22 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.04 | 3–10 in 2018-07-09 | 0.26 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 3.85 | 7–18 in 2018-07-09 | 1.67 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.16 | 12–37 in 2018-07-09 | 2.06 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 1.62 | 8–13 in 2018-07-09 | 0.64 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.51 | 4–7 in 2018-07-09 | 0.26 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
Black Crappie
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2018-07-09 survey
Little Sand Lake is a 213-acre lake located 11 miles east of Grand Rapids. A county owned cement public access is located off Highway 70 on the northeast shore with parking for two boats with trailers. Little Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 44 feet and 54% of the lake is 15 feet or less. The lake has moderately hard…
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 (0575)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Sand (2073)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little SandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
44 ft
Surface area
210 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
55%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,299 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 Itasca 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)
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Little Sand Lake
Where is Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake is a lake in Itasca 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 Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 209.75 acres.
Is Little Sand Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Sand Lake?
- Little Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 44 feet. The lake covers 209.75 acres.
What fish are in Little Sand Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Sand Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Sand Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Sand Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 9, 2018 caught 4.33 northern pike per gill net at Little Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–37 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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 Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory