Sarah Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota557 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sarah Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 59 ft max depth
- Public access
Sarah Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 106.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 34.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 59 ft. Surface area: 557.23 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 3.12 walleye per gill net at Sarah Lake. DNR survey details →
Sarah Lake is a 557-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 59 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Sarah Lake ranks #73 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Sarah Lake covers about 560 acres in Hennepin County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 3, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Sarah Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Sarah Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
- Deep water59 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Sarah Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sarah 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 Sarah Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Sarah Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 106.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 34.3 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 106µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 34.3µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Sarah Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sarah Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 58°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 60°F) and coldest in Apr (about 45°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (45°F) to its warmest (60°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 2,085 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sarah Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 3.12 walleye per gill net at Sarah Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sarah Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-18 (Standard Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-18 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 43.88 | 2–8 in 2022-07-18 | 0.17 lb |
| Black Crappie | 19.43 | 4–10 in 2022-07-18 | 0.17 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 16.09 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 14.21 | 13–15 in 2022-07-18 | 1.45 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 8.53 | 5–15 in 2022-07-18 | 1.04 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
Black Crappie
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2022-07-18 survey
Lake Sarah is a 561-acre lake with a maximum depth of 59 feet, located southeast of Rockford, in western Hennepin County. Sarah is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike, and also holds healthy populations of Black Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow Bullhead, and Walleye. Walleye have been stocked privately…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sarah Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SarahFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SarahFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SarahPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
59 ft
Surface area
557 acres
Shoreline
7.5 mi
Littoral zone
67%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Lake Sarah, Kohen Memorial LandingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sarah Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sarah Lake in Hennepin 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Sarah Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Sarah Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 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 Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Sarah Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sarah Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+22.77 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.46 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 18, 2012 · Latest May 2, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 7
Earliest Nov 20, 2012 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2022
18 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Sarah Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN27-0191-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Sarah Lake
Where is Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 106.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 34.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 59 ft. Surface area: 557.23 acres.
Is Sarah Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sarah Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 2,085 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake has a maximum depth of 59 feet. The lake covers 557.23 acres.
What fish are in Sarah Lake?
- Fish species found in Sarah Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sarah Lake is located in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sarah Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 3.12 walleye per gill net at Sarah Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sarah Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Sarah Lake thaw?
- Sarah Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3. Ice typically forms around Dec 7. The open water season is approximately 248 days.
Are there boat ramps on Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Sarah, Kohen Memorial Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sarah Lake?
- Sarah 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 Sarah Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Hennepin County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Sarah Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Sarah Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
342 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA342 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate