Sarah Lake
Polk County, Minnesota366 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sarah Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
Sarah Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 365.93 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 15.50 walleye per gill net at Sarah Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–29 inches. DNR survey details →
Sarah Lake is a 366-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet (13-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Sarah Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Sarah Lake covers about 370 acres in Polk County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 16, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Sarah Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Sarah Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.7 ft. Phosphorus 29.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.5 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 29.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.5µg/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. | 51 | 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 15.50 walleye per gill net at Sarah Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–29 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 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 25.08 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 20.51 | 4–9 in 2021-07-19 | 0.18 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.01 | 3–10 in 2021-07-19 | 0.31 lb |
| Walleye | 8.89 | 9–29 in 2021-07-19 | 2.14 lb |
| White Sucker | 6.99 | 16–21 in 2021-07-19 | 2.3 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.60 | 5 in 2021-07-19 | 1.02 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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Walleye
White Sucker
From the 2021-07-19 survey
Lake Sarah is a 366-acre lake located in Polk County four miles south of Erskine. This productive lake possesses a heavily developed shoreline and occasionally experiences large water level fluctuations. Lake Sarah provides angling opportunities for Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill, and Black Crappie. A standard…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sarah Lake. 4 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
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Sarah (1955)Aquatic Plant Report · 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
27 ft
Average depth
12.7 ft
Surface area
366 acres
Shoreline
5.3 mi
Littoral zone
49%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
11 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,204 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Sarah 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 Sarah Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sarah Lake in Polk 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
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
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.46 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 16
Earliest Mar 21, 2012 · Latest May 6, 1996
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 6, 1993 · Latest Dec 10, 1999
Most recent ice-out
Mar 21
2012
29 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Sarah Lake
Where is Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake is a lake in Polk 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 Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 365.93 acres.
Is Sarah Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Sarah Lake?
- Sarah Lake has a maximum depth of 27 feet and an average depth of 12.7 feet. The lake covers 365.93 acres.
What fish are in Sarah Lake?
- Fish species found in Sarah Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Sarah Lake is located in Polk County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sarah Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 15.50 walleye per gill net at Sarah Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–29 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 6 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 Apr 16. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 222 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 Sarah Lake. 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
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Where this data comes from
85 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
MNPCA85 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 (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
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