Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 17, 1986
Sand Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Sand Lake average 2.25 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 17, 1986. In Itasca County, Minnesota, Sand Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 13.2 feet of visibility, and there is one public boat landing. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Stocking at Sand Lake
No stocking record for Sand Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Sand Lake average 2.25 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 17, 1986.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Sand Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry. 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).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | 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, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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
Common questions
What fish are in Sand Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Sand Lake average 2.25 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 17, 1986. 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 July 17, 1986. 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?
No stocking record for Sand Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Sand Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Sand Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is 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 can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
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