Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 6, 2016
Species recorded at Sand Lake
3 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Sand Lake
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.
Getting on the water
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
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
Common questions
What fish are in Sand Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 6, 2016 caught 4.83 northern pike per gill net at Sand Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 3 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Sand Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Sand Lake is dated September 6, 2016. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Sand Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Sand Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Sand Lake fishes?
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.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Sand Lake
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