Sand Lake
Carlton County, Minnesota128 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sand Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
Sand Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 127.61 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2016 caught 4.83 northern pike per gill net at Sand Lake. DNR survey details →
Sand Lake is a 128-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carlton County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet (3-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including bluegill, northern pike, and yellow perch. Public access is available. Compared to the 21 other monitored lakes in Carlton County, Sand Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sand Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing3 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. Sand Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sand 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 Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA 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.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.4 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13.4µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Sand Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sand Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 68°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 66 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sand Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2016 caught 4.83 northern pike per gill net at 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 2 years of monitoring is declining. 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: 2016-09-06 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2016-09-06 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Bullhead | 14.25 | 5–11 in 2009-07-13 | 0.44 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.97 | 5–10 in 2016-09-06 | 0.11 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 6.74 | 3–5 in 2009-07-13 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 3.67 | 9–11 in 2009-07-13 | 0.5 lb |
| Bluegill | 3.14 | 5–8 in 2016-09-06 | 0.2 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.
Yellow Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Pumpkinseed
Black Bullhead
From the 2016-09-06 survey
Sand is a 123 acre lake with 122 (99%) acres of littoral area and a maximum depth of 27 feet. Sand lake is located seven miles northeast of Barnum, MN off Highway #5 and has a County administered, public access. Sand was last assessed during the summer of 2009. Sand was surveyed during the summer of 2016 to update…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sand Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Sand (0263)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SandFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Average depth
3 ft
Surface area
128 acres
Shoreline
2.1 mi
Littoral zone
96%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,079 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sand Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sand Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Sand Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sand Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+8 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+8 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Sand Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN09-0016-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Carlton County
Frequently asked questions about Sand Lake
Where is Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake is a lake in Carlton 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 Lake?
- Sand Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 127.61 acres.
Is Sand Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sand Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 66 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet and an average depth of 3 feet. The lake covers 127.61 acres.
What fish are in Sand Lake?
- Fish species found in Sand Lake include bluegill, northern pike, yellow perch. Sand Lake is located in Carlton County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sand Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2016 caught 4.83 northern pike per gill net at 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 2 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 Minnesota'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
31 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA31 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder