Sand Lake
Burnett County, Wisconsin900 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Sand Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Purple Loosestrife
- 73 ft max depth
- Public access
Sand Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 900 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Northern Pike as abundant on Sand Lake. DNR survey details →
Sand Lake is a 900-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 73 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Burnett County, Sand Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-07-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sand Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18 ft of visibility
- Fishing4 species recorded
- Deep water73 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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 Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Sand Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Sand Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. Phosphorus 10.4 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading 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. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Sand Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sand Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 18 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sand Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR rates Northern Pike as abundant on Sand Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. Monitored by volunteers since 1986. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
73 ft
Surface area
900 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
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Stays near Sand Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing 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.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.55 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Burnett County
Frequently asked questions about Sand Lake
Where is Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake is a lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 900 acres.
Is Sand Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 18 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 73 feet. The lake covers 900 acres.
What fish are in Sand Lake?
- Fish species found in Sand Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Sand Lake is located in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sand Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Northern Pike as abundant on Sand Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Sand Lake?
- Public access to Sand Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Sand Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX36 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes