Sandy Lake is a lake in Houghton County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Sandy Lake?

Sandy Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 101 acres.

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 Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

Sandy Lake

Houghton County, Michigan101 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from EGLE for this lake.

Max depth

15 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

101 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

1.2 mi

Measured length

15 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Sandy Lake in Houghton County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 101 acres.

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Water clarity at Sandy Lake

Moderate clarity. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, Sandy Lake averaged 1.74 m (6 ft) of visibility down into the water, so visibility is middling in midsummer, which is ordinary for a productive inland lake. This lake sits close to the line between clarity classes, so treat the label as approximate and the depth reading as the real number.

Nobody has taken a water sample here that we can find. Michigan's environmental agency measures clarity on lakes like this one from satellite images instead, which is why this page reports how clear the water is and no phosphorus or algae readings.

Clear is not the same as clean. A lake can be easy to see through and still carry high nutrient levels, and a naturally tea-stained lake can be perfectly healthy. The nutrient and algae readings on other lakes come from phosphorus and chlorophyll-a measured in a laboratory, and clarity alone cannot stand in for them.

The same satellite images put summer algae here at roughly 5.05 micrograms per litre. Estimating algae from orbit is far less exact than measuring clarity, so that figure is worth knowing and is not part of any rating.

Sandy Lake is a 101-acre lake in Houghton County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 15 feet (12-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Sandy Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

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 Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Sandy Lake

These are the measurements EGLE 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.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Sandy Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

15 ft

Average depth

12 ft

Surface area

101 acres

Shoreline

1.2 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by EGLE

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public 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

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sandy Lake in Houghton County, Michigan — 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 Sandy Lake

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →

Follow Sandy Lake’s readings

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Fishing Sandy Lake

→ Sandy Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Nearby Lakes in Houghton County

Emily Lake1 miView →Pike Lake1.7 miView →Lake Roland2.7 miView →Lake Gerald3.8 miView →Bob Lake—View →Lake Eva—View →

Frequently asked questions about Sandy Lake

Where is Sandy Lake?: Sandy Lake is a lake in Houghton County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sandy Lake?: Sandy Lake in Houghton County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 15 ft. Surface area: 101 acres.
Is Sandy Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Sandy Lake?: Sandy Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 101 acres.
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 Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.