Sand Lake

The LakeGrade rubric puts Sand Lake at a C: clarity at 9.0 ft, phosphorus readings still being added, and a TSI of 45 signal an intermediate trophic state.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Sand Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. A maximum depth of 15 ft puts Sand Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. The lake's 779 acres and 6.9 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Within St. Louis County's 187 graded lakes, Sand Lake ranks 95 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

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 9 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. Ice-out has been recorded 19 times at Sand Lake, with a median around Apr 22. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.