Sand Hill Lake
Polk County, Minnesota479 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sand Hill Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
Sand Hill Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 479.19 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2018 caught 16.54 yellow perch per hour of electrofishing at Sand Hill Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–12 inches. DNR survey details →
Sand Hill Lake is a 479-acre mesotrophic lake in Polk County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Sand Hill Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sand Hill Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing6 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sand Hill 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 Sand Hill Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Sand Hill Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.8 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.8µg/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. | 50 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Sand Hill Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Sand Hill Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (38,019 cells/mL) on June 27, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2018 caught 16.54 yellow perch per hour of electrofishing at Sand Hill Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–12 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sand Hill Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-07-17 (Targeted Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2018-07-17 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 57.01 | 6–12 in 2017-06-12 | 0.29 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 48.99 | ||
| Walleye | 23.63 | 0.1 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 17.44 | 4–12 in 2017-06-12 | 0.4 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 15.93 |
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.
Yellow Perch
Black Bullhead
From the 2018-07-17 survey
A Targeted Survey was completed on Sand Hill Lake on July 17, 2018 to assess the near-shore fish community. This data will be analyzed in conjunction with the Standard Survey that was completed in 2017 to evaluate the biological condition of Sand Hill Lake, and contribute to the assessment of the watershed. Ten sites…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sand Hill Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Sand HillFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Sand Hill (0106)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Sand HillPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Surface area
479 acres
Shoreline
4.6 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,263 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Sand Hill 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 Sand Hill Lake
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Follow Sand Hill Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sand Hill Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2023).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.7 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.46 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sand Hill Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sand Hill Lake (completed 1956), built primarily for recreation on the Sand Hill River; other-type dam, 8 ft tall and 37 ft long.
- Surface area
- 510 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,904 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,880 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Fisheries
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00227 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Sand Hill Lake
Where is Sand Hill Lake?
- Sand Hill Lake is a lake in Polk County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sand Hill Lake?
- Sand Hill Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 479.19 acres.
Is Sand Hill Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Sand Hill Lake?
- Sand Hill Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 479.19 acres.
What fish are in Sand Hill Lake?
- Fish species found in Sand Hill Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, brown bullhead, northern pike, white sucker, yellow perch. Sand Hill Lake is located in Polk County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sand Hill Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 17, 2018 caught 16.54 yellow perch per hour of electrofishing at Sand Hill Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–12 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sand Hill Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Sand Hill Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Sand Hill Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (38,019 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Sand Hill Lake?
- Sand Hill Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sand Hill Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sand Hill Lake?
- Sand Hill 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 Sand Hill Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Polk County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the St. Croix Watershed, ranked by water quality
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Compare Sand Hill Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
59 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA59 samples · 2020–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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