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Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 9, 2018

Species recorded at Little Sand Lake

11 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.

Stocking at Little Sand Lake

No stocking record for Little Sand Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.

Getting on the water

1 public boat landing is recorded on Little Sand Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.

Survey results in full

DNR fisheries survey

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)

SpeciesCatch rate (CPUE)SizeAvg 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

104 fish · 3–9 in · 2018-07-09
38190trophy 10″3456789

Black Crappie

43 fish · 3–10 in · 2018-07-09
1370trophy 10″345678910

Largemouth Bass

13 fish · 7–18 in · 2018-07-09
530789101112131415161718

Northern Pike

33 fish · 12–37 in · 2018-07-09
530trophy 36″12141618202224262830323436

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…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

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).

Common questions

What fish are in 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. Minnesota DNR lists 11 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.

When was Little Sand Lake last surveyed?

The most recent fisheries survey on file for Little Sand Lake is dated July 9, 2018. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.

Is Little Sand Lake stocked?

No stocking record for Little Sand Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.

Do the water-quality readings tell me how Little Sand Lake fishes?

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.

Before you eat what you catch

Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.

Where to stay near Little Sand Lake

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