Red Sand Lake

How big is Red Sand Lake?

How deep is Red Sand Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Red Sand Lake?

What are the closest cities to Red Sand Lake?

Are there boat launches on Red Sand Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Red Sand Lake?

The southern tip of Red Sand Lake lies within the city limits of Baxter, MN. Red Sand has been known to at least partially winterkill on regular basis, the last time being during the winter of 2013-2014. This is often followed by a year or two of poor fishing, while the fish that remain tend to grow at an increased rate. Within 3 to 4 years (if the lake hasn't winterkilled again), there are usually a fair amount of fish that are of catchable size. That is where Red Sand is currently at now. Unfortunately, another side effect of winterkill is that the hardier species tend to do much better; in this case that is black bullheads and they have taken over in high numbers (110.6/trap net). All sizes were found, ranging from 4.2" to 11.8".

Three species that have rebounded are northern pike, largemouth bass, and bluegill. Northern pike were caught in average numbers for this type of lake (5.0/gill net), with an average length of 21.3". Not many large fish existed, with only 10% measuring 24" or larger and only two fish over 26". Bluegill numbers were also average at 4.3/trap net. Size was decent, with an average length of 7.4". Largemouth bass were sampled by electrofishing on the night of June 5th, 2017, resulting in a catch rate of 40.6/hr. Mean length was 11.3" and 45% were 12" or larger.

Although walleye fry are stocked occasionally, no walleye were captured in the 2017 netting. Seven walleyes were observed and netted during bass electrofishing, with lengths ranging from 15.7"-18.7". Though they are present in the lake, no black crappie were sampled, suggesting that the previous winterkill took more of a toll on them than other species.

What is the average air temp for Red Sand Lake?

Are there any state parks near Red Sand Lake?