Sand Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Sand Lake pulls an A: clarity at 31.2 ft and 24 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI near 40 places Sand Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake's 50 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Wisconsin — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. The lake's 949 acres and partial shoreline records put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within Sawyer County's 52 graded lakes, Sand Lake ranks 31 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

An invasive species record — Banded Mystery Snail — has been logged at Sand Lake; Wisconsin DNR maintains the official infested-waters list. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 6 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. A documented public access point at Sand Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is supported by multiple sampling years from the Wisconsin DNR Citizen Lake Monitoring Network, giving the letter a reasonably stable foundation.