Sandy Beach Lake
Osage County, Oklahoma16,750 acresView mapDirections
Oklahoma DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Sandy Beach Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Sandy Beach Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma has water-quality measurements published by Oklahoma DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 257.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.7 µg/L. Surface area: 16750 acres.
Sandy Beach Lake is a 16,750-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Osage County, Oklahoma. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Osage County, Sandy Beach Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ODEQ, last sampled 2021-03-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sandy Beach Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water16,750 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Sandy Beach Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Sandy Beach Lake
These are the measurements Oklahoma DEQ publishes for Sandy Beach Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 257.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14.7 µg/L. TSI 71.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 258µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 14.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 71 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Sandy Beach Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
16,750 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oklahoma DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Sandy Beach Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Sandy ParkPublic
- McFadden CovePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Sandy Beach Lake
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sandy Beach Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sandy Beach Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma — 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Sandy Beach Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Sandy Beach Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Sandy Beach Lake → · more Oklahoma lake trips
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Fishing Sandy Beach Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 10 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-75.42 µg/L/yr8 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.71 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sandy Beach Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Kaw Dam (completed 1976), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Arkansas River; gravity-type dam, 125 ft tall and 9,466 ft long.
- Surface area
- 16,750 ac
- Normal storage
- 406,540 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,327,160 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6,652 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Tulsa District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Recreation;Hydroelectric;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OK20509 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.58 km)
Nearby Lakes in Osage County
Frequently asked questions about Sandy Beach Lake
Where is Sandy Beach Lake?
- Sandy Beach Lake is a lake in Osage County, Oklahoma. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oklahoma DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sandy Beach Lake?
- Sandy Beach Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma has water-quality measurements published by Oklahoma DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 257.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.7 µg/L. Surface area: 16750 acres.
Is Sandy Beach Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Sandy Beach Lake?
- Sandy Beach Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sandy Park, McFadden Cove. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sandy Beach Lake?
- Sandy Beach Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Oklahoma's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Sandy Beach Lake?
- Sandy Beach Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Sandy Park, McFadden Cove. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Sandy Beach Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
188 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kaw Nation, Oklahoma (Tribal)
KAWNATON_WQX188 samples · 2012–2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus, Recative (Orthophosphate) Ascorbic Acid Method
- Phosphorus, Total Ascorbic Acid Method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Phosphorus, Reactive (Orthophosphate) Ascorbic Acid Method
- Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- Color, APHA Platinum-Cobalt
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles