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LakeQuality
A

Sandy Lake

Marquette County, WisconsinLimited DataOligotrophic

Sandy Lake sits at the top of the Wisconsin DNR grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Wisconsin. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI value of 30 puts Sandy Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Within Marquette County's 14 graded waters, Sandy Lake sits at rank 3, near the top of the local distribution.

Sandy Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2025, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Sandy Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-11-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae

Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent

Crystal clear, you can see 26.2 ft down. Trophic State Index: 30.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)26.2 ftA
PhosphorusNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)30Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Water Quality Trend: Stable

Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable+0.075 m/yr7

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #3 of 14 lakes in Marquette County

Nearby Lakes in Marquette County

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2025-11-28

Monitoring stations: 2