Sand Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota209 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sand Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 15 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Sand Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 209.29 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 4, 2012 caught 0.11 walleye per trap net at Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–19 inches. DNR survey details →
Sand Lake is a 209-acre lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 15 feet (7-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sand Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sand Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). 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.
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 64 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Sand Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sand Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Apr (about 46°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (46°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 65 field readings (2019–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sand Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 4, 2012 caught 0.11 walleye per trap net at Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2012-06-04 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2012-06-04 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 69.01 | 5–11 in 2012-06-04 | 0.18 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 43.40 | 6–8 in 2012-06-04 | 0.25 lb |
| Bluegill | 32.39 | 3–7 in 2012-06-04 | 0.12 lb |
| Walleye | 13.11 | 19 in 2012-06-04 | 2.53 lb |
| White Sucker | 10.12 | 15–19 in 2002-07-08 | 1.71 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.92 | 14–16 in 2012-06-04 | 1.21 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.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Black Crappie
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Walleye
From the 2012-06-04 survey
Sand Lake is located in north central Stearns County, three miles southwest of Albany. It has a surface area of 202 acres and a maximum depth of about 15 feet. A public access is located along the west shore. Due to the shallowness of the lake and poor water quality, the lake periodically experiences partial…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sand Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
15 ft
Average depth
7.2 ft
Surface area
209 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,194 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 Stearns 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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Fishing Sand Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 24, 2017 · Latest Apr 18, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 30
Earliest Nov 13, 2014 · Latest Dec 4, 2006
Most recent ice-out
Mar 27
2021
10 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Sand Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN73-0199-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Sand Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Central Livestock Association Inc - Albany MarketAlbany · 3.2 mi away · NPDES MN0069787
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Sand Lake
Where is Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake is a lake in Stearns 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 Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 209.29 acres.
Is Sand Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sand Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake typically sits around 51°F at the surface in October, from 65 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sand Lake?
- Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of 7.2 feet. The lake covers 209.29 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sand Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 4, 2012 caught 0.11 walleye per trap net at Sand Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–19 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sand Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Sand Lake thaw?
- Sand Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 241 days.
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
79 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA79 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate