Sand Lake

How big is Sand Lake?

How deep is Sand Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Sand Lake?

What are the closest cities to Sand Lake?

Are there boat launches on Sand Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Sand Lake?

Sand Lake is 124-acres in size and is located in the northwestern part of Otter Tail County. It is located approximately five miles north of Pelican Rapids, MN. The immediate watershed is composed of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth of Sand Lake is 29 feet; however, 80% of the lake is less than 15 feet in depth. The secci disk reading during the 2004 lake survey was 5.9 feet. Previous secchi disk readings have ranged from 5.2 to 10.0 feet. Periodic plankton/algae blooms throughout the summer months can influence secchi disk readings. Sand Lake is susceptible to winterkill during severe winters and most recently experienced a partial winterkill during the winter of 1996-1997. Sand Lake is included in class 38 of the MN DNR lake classification scheme. The majority of the shoreline of Sand Lake has not been developed. Within the past couple years, four new homes have been built on the south shoreline and more lots have been developed to build on. A state owned public access is located off State Hwy 59 along the east shoreline of the lake. Because of high water levels, the concrete access gets covered by sand and can be a problem when putting in and taking out watercraft. The shoal water substrates consist of sand, gravel, and muck. Stands of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are scattered along the shoreline of the lake. Emergent aquatic plants such as bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can actually absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as northern pike, largemouth bass, andpanfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain excellent water quality and angling that our county lakes have to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. The northern pike and walleye populations appear to be in good shape. Some spawning habitat is available for these species. Northern pike up to 35.0 inches and walleye up to 27.0 inches were sampled in 2004. Northern pike mean length at capture was 22.0 inches, while walleye mean length at capture was 20.4 inches. Walleye fry are stocked every other year to supplement natural reproduction. Historically, bluegill, black crappie, and largemouth bass numbers are very low or nonexistent; however, the bluegill and black crappie populations appear to have responded well to the lack of any recent winterkill. The 2000 and 2001 year classes appear to be good natural reproduction years for both species. Largemouth bass were not sampled during the 2004 assessment. In order to reestablish a largemouth bass population, the stocking of some prespawn adult bass may be needed. The test-net catch rate for black bullhead was the highest recorded. Black bullhead numbers are also driven by the frequency of winterkill and appear to have responded well to the lack of recent winterkills. The establishment of fish populations in Sand Lake is dependent on the frequency of winterkill. If gamefish populations have time to establish, then Sand Lake can provide good angling opportunity. Anglers can also maintain the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large-size fish while allowing the harvest of the more abundant smaller fish for table fare. Releasing the medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future.

What is the average air temp for Sand Lake?

Are there any state parks near Sand Lake?