Sand Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota715 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sand Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 60 ft max depth
- Public access
Sand Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 714.55 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 1986 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Sand Lake. DNR survey details →
Sand Lake is a 715-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 60 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Sand Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sand Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water60 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 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.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.2 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Sand Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 1986 caught 1.33 walleye 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. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1986-07-17 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1986-07-17 (Standard Survey)
40 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 15.50 | 0.97 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 2.94 | 0.29 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 2.25 | 0.95 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.08 | 0.33 lb | |
| Bluegill | 0.92 | 0.6 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.
From the 1986-07-17 survey
WALLEYE AND YELLOW PERCH ABUNDANCE IS BELOW STATE- WIDE LOCAL MEDIANS. ALL OTHER SPECIES ARE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS FOR THIS TYPE OF LAKE. SHORELINE SEINING YIELDING A GOOD NUMBER OF YOUNG-0F-YEAR WALLEYE. WALLEYE AND YELLOW PERCH ABUNDANCE IS BELOW STATEWIDE AND LOCAL MEDIANS. ALL OTHER SPECIES ARE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sand Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PortageFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
60 ft
Surface area
715 acres
Shoreline
10 mi
Littoral zone
5%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
14 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,319 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Sand LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sand Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sand Lake in Itasca 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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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Sand Lake’s readings
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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.
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Sand Lake
Where is Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake is a lake in Itasca 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 Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 714.55 acres.
Is Sand Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet. The lake covers 714.55 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sand Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 1986 caught 1.33 walleye 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. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sand Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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
168 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA168 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory