Sandy Lake
Sherburne County, Minnesota64 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sandy Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 41 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Sandy Lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 64.14 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 21, 2012 caught 9.67 northern pike per gill net at Sandy Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches. DNR survey details →
Sandy Lake is a 64-acre mesotrophic lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 41 feet (14-foot average). The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Sherburne County, Sandy Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sandy Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 9
- Deep water41 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 14 ft. Phosphorus 12.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | 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 77°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 81°F) and coldest in Jun (about 73°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (73°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 16 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sandy Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 21, 2012 caught 9.67 northern pike per gill net at Sandy Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sandy Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2012-08-21 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2012-08-21 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 18.66 | 3–7 in 2012-08-21 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.63 | 6–19 in 2012-08-21 | 0.93 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.97 | 7–13 in 2012-08-21 | 0.44 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 7.14 | 11 in 2002-08-19 | 0.39 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 5.35 | 3–7 in 2012-08-21 | 0.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.93 | 10–25 in 2012-08-21 | 1.2 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bullhead
Brown Bullhead
From the 2012-08-21 survey
Sandy Lake is located in northeastern Sherburne County, 4 miles northeast of Zimmerman. The lake has a surface area of 62 acres, maximum depth of 41 feet, and two small public accesses are located on both the north and south shore. The lake is primarily managed for largemouth bass and northern pike. A population…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sandy Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SandyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Sandy (2001)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SandyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
41 ft
Average depth
13.9 ft
Surface area
64 acres
Shoreline
1.3 mi
Littoral zone
65%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
974 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
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sandy Lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota — 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
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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
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 9
Earliest Apr 3, 2003 · Latest Apr 22, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 16, 2002 · Latest Nov 30, 2006
Most recent ice-out
Apr 21
2023
12 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Sherburne County
Frequently asked questions about Sandy Lake
Where is Sandy Lake?
- Sandy Lake is a lake in Sherburne 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 Sherburne County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 64.14 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 77°F at the surface in September, from 16 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sandy Lake?
- Sandy Lake has a maximum depth of 41 feet and an average depth of 13.9 feet. The lake covers 64.14 acres.
What fish are in Sandy Lake?
- Fish species found in Sandy Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead. Sandy Lake is located in Sherburne County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sandy Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 21, 2012 caught 9.67 northern pike per gill net at Sandy Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sandy Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Sandy Lake thaw?
- Sandy Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 9. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 232 days.
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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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
71 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA71 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate