Sandy Lake

Sandy Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Sherburne County. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI value of 40 puts Sandy Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. Sandy Lake reaches 41 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake is compact at 64 acres, with 1.3 miles of shoreline and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Within Sherburne County's 24 graded waters, Sandy Lake sits at rank 5, near the top of the local distribution.

Sandy Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery is bass-led, with 7 documented species across the lake's records. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 8 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 9. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.