Sand Hill Lake

Sand Hill Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

At a TSI of 50, Sand Hill Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. The lake bottoms out at 17 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 479 acres, Sand Hill Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 4.6 miles of shoreline. Within Polk County's 20 graded waters, Sand Hill Lake sits at rank 3, near the top of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Sand Hill Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery is panfish-dominated — bluegill, crappie, and sunfish among the 6 species documented for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.