Sandy Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota103 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sandy Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 72 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Sandy Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 72 ft. Surface area: 103.38 acres.
Sandy Lake is a 103-acre mesotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 72 feet. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including bluegill, green sunfish, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Sandy Lake ranks #64 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sandy Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.7 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water72 ft surveyed max depth
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 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 Sandy Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Sandy Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.7 ft. Phosphorus 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.2 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 32.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.2µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Sandy Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sandy Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 53°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 56°F) and coldest in Jun (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (56°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 68 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sandy Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
72 ft
Surface area
103 acres
Shoreline
1.8 mi
Littoral zone
11%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,286 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Sandy 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 Sandy Lake
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Follow Sandy Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sandy Lake
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Sandy Lake
Where is Sandy Lake?
- Sandy Lake is a lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sandy Lake?
- Sandy Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 72 ft. Surface area: 103.38 acres.
Is Sandy Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sandy Lake?
- Sandy Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in September, from 68 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sandy Lake?
- Sandy Lake has a maximum depth of 72 feet. The lake covers 103.38 acres.
What fish are in Sandy Lake?
- Fish species found in Sandy Lake include bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Sandy Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Sandy Lake?
- Sandy Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sandy Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sandy Lake?
- Sandy 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 Sandy Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA14 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory