Sand Lake
Burnett County, WisconsinLimited DataOligotrophic
Sand Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Burnett County. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.
A TSI value of 17 puts Sand Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Sand Lake sits at rank 51 of 70 in Burnett County, in the lower half of the local distribution.
No invasive species are currently listed at Sand Lake — the lake remains off the Wisconsin infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Sand Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2023-08-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent
Crystal clear, you can see 64 ft down. Trophic State Index: 17.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 64 ft | A |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 17 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -1 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.38 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #51 of 70 lakes in Burnett County
Nearby Lakes in Burnett County
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
State Parks Near Sand Lake
Other Grade A Lakes in Wisconsin
Waukesha County · Clarity: 14.6 ft
Waukesha County · Clarity: 13.8 ft
Walworth County · Clarity: 19 ft
Washington County · Clarity: 12 ft
Kenosha County · Clarity: 10.1 ft
Washington County · Clarity: 12.5 ft
Oligotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Most recent sample: 2023-08-28
Monitoring stations: 1