Sand Lake

Sand Lake sits at the top of the Minnesota PCA grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Minnesota.

A TSI value of 33 puts Sand Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's 54 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. Sand Lake covers 149 acres alongside 2.0 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Among the 132 graded lakes in Cass County, Sand Lake ranks 5 — in the top quartile locally.

Sand Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Sand Lake, one of 12 fish species on record for the lake. No formal public access is documented at Sand Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. The lake has a partial ice record — 8 observed ice-outs, centered near May 2. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.