Sand Lake

How big is Sand Lake?

How deep is Sand Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Sand Lake?

Are there boat launches on Sand Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Sand Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Sand Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Sand Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

Sand Lake is characterized as a lake class 12 lake and is located 15 miles west and two miles south of Isabella in the Superior National Forest. Public access is a carry down at the campground on the east side of the lake. A second access is present at the narrows leading to the north rice bay. From 5.9 miles south of State Hwy. 1 on Lake Co. Rd. 2 go west 0.4 miles on USFS Rd. #941 to Sand Lake. This access road is narrow and brushy with little parking and a poor turn around area. Light boats on trailers can be launched but trailers must be disconnected and turned around by hand. The lake is 486 acres with a maximum depth of 11 feet and a Secchi disc reading of three feet in dark brown bog stained water.

The 2014 Walleye gill net catch of 11.1/lift was above average for lake class 12. Historically, Sand Lake Walleye catch was higher than average with smaller than average size fish. Of 105 fish sampled only five were greater than 15 inches with the largest fish 24.2 inches and weighed five pounds. The Walleye population appears to be heavily supported by stocking as 78% of the fish caught were from stocked years. Walleye fry are stocked two consecutive years out of every four. Growth was slower than average for the Finland Area.

Northern Pike gill net catch of 0.3/lift was well below average and the lowest catch on record. Historically the Northern Pike catch is near 3/lift. Mean weight of 1.2 pounds was below average, but similar to the past four investigations. The largest fish sampled was 21.3 inches and weighed 1.7 pounds.

Yellow Perch gill net catch of 3.7/lift was below average. The mean weight of 0.15 pounds was average, but the smallest in all past investigations. Catch the past four investigations ranged from 3.3-15.6/lift. Yellow Perch in the past were caught in much higher numbers and size.

Bluegill trap net catch of 0.3/lift was below average and the lowest catch in summer assessments after the Bluegill reintroduction in 2000, the highest catch was 2/lift in 2011. Mean weight of 0.3 pound was above average. A special regulation of decreased bag limit of five daily and in possession is in effect on Sand Lake. As part of the regulation evaluation, spring trap net assessments were done targeting Bluegills while they are in the shallows searching for spawning sites. During these investigations a few Bluegills were documented in the 10 inch size range, weighing around a pound each. Anglers should show some restraint harvesting numbers of big Bluegills as it takes about 10 years to grow to one pound, they can be easily caught at times and reproduction in this area is usually very sporadic.

What is the average air temp for Sand Lake?

Are there any state parks near Sand Lake?