Sarah Lake
Murray County, Minnesota1,209 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sarah Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- zebra mussel
- 10 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Sarah Lake in Murray County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 1209.24 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 9, 2024 caught 46.67 walleye per gill net at Sarah Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–9 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Sarah Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 8 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Sarah Lake is a 1,209-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Murray County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 10 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Murray County, Sarah Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sarah Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 30
- Big water1,209 acres
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), 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.
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 59µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/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. | 53 | 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 73°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Aug (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (72°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 10 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sarah Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 9, 2024 caught 46.67 walleye per gill net at Sarah Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–9 inches.
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 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
22 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-08 (Targeted Survey).
22 surveys on file · most recent 2025-10-08 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 135.32 | 6–9 in 2025-10-08 | 2.04 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 89.30 | ||
| Black Bullhead | 64.24 | 5–14 in 2024-09-09 | 0.5 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 26.24 | 2–11 in 2024-09-09 | 0.23 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.
Walleye
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-10-08 survey
Lake Sarah is a 1,093-acre, class 41 lake, located approximately 4 miles south of the City of Garvin in Murray County. Lake Sarah has a maximum depth of 11.0 feet and a watershed-to-lake ratio of 10-to-1. Lake Sarah is managed primarily for Walleye and secondarily for Yellow Perch. Lake Sarah's Walleye population is…
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
10 ft
Surface area
1,209 acres
Shoreline
8.1 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,522 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake SarahPublic
- Sarah Lake (West)Public
- Sarah Lake (East)Public
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 Murray 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 Sarah Lake
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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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 30
Earliest Mar 1, 2016 · Latest Apr 29, 2018
Most recent ice-out
Mar 9
2026
29 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, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN51-0063-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Sarah Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Garvin WwtpGarvin · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MN0029602Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Murray County
Frequently asked questions about Sarah Lake
Where is Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake is a lake in Murray 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 Murray County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 1209.24 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), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 1209.24 acres.
What fish are in Sarah Lake?
- Fish species found in Sarah Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sarah Lake is located in Murray County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sarah Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 9, 2024 caught 46.67 walleye per gill net at Sarah Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–9 inches. 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 2 years of monitoring is improving. 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 Mar 30.
Are there boat ramps on Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Sarah, Sarah Lake (West), Sarah Lake (East). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake has 3 documented boat landings 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
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Where this data comes from
16 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
MNPCA16 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
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