Minnesota · Pine County
Sand Lake Fishing guide
Sand Lake covers 527 acres in Pine County, Minnesota, reaching 47 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 8.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 14 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and muskellunge in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.2per gill net20"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 21 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 21 fish
2024Lengths measured · 11 fish
2016Lengths measured · 12 fish
2012Lengths measured · 9 fish
2007Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Largemouth bassFair numbers39.5per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 191 fish
Recent · 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 5 fish
2025Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 186 fish
2024Lengths measured · 101 fish
2016Lengths measured · 78 fish
2012Northern pikeGood numbers11.9per gill net17"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 125 fish
Recent · 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 7 fish
2025Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 118 fish
2024Lengths measured · 74 fish
2016Lengths measured · 160 fish
2012Present in recent DNR surveys.
BluegillJust a few20.6per trap net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1943 fish
Recent · 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 1368 fish
2025Lengths measured · 234 fish
2025Lengths measured · 341 fish
2024Lengths measured · 249 fish
2016CrappieJust a few2.6per trap net9"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 174 fish
Recent · 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 114 fish
2025Lengths measured · 14 fish
2025Lengths measured · 46 fish
2024Lengths measured · 28 fish
2016Rock bassGood numbers0.7per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 9 fish
2025Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 3 fish
2024Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2016Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 2 fish
2012Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Sand Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 47 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 47 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18" | — | 10" |
| 2024 | 29" | 25" | 19" |
| 2016 | 33" | 23" | 17" |
| 2012 | 32" | 22" | 17" |
| 2007 | 30" | 24" | 19" |
| 2005 | 33" | 28" | 17" |
| 2002 | 34" | 26" | 21" |
| 1997 | 29" | 19" | 17" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 1,977 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 54,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 307,500 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 215,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 215,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 215,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 78 fingerlings · 15 yearlings · 509 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Sand Lake is a 501-acre lake in northern Pine County located three miles south of Moose Lake and is within the Kettle River watershed. It has a maximum depth of 47 feet, an average depth of 18 feet, and is 43% littoral (depths less than 15 feet, 215 acres). There is one inlet from Island Lake in the southwest corner and one outlet to Coffee Lake on the northwest shoreline. Water clarity is high and is typically 8 to 12 feet. Due to high water clarity and 43% of the lake being less than 15 feet, aquatic vegetation is plentiful and has been sampled in depths to 14 feet. Recent plant surveys indicate there is a very diverse plant community. However, Eurasian watermilfoil, a non-native species, was present at over 30% of the points surveyed in the most recent survey. Substrates are favorable for Bluegill and crappie spawning with abundant sand and gravel. The lake is highly developed and has over 250 homes. A paved public access is located on the western end with nine double spaces and one handicapped space.
Past standard lake surveys on Sand Lake have occurred in July and have indicated the lake has a moderate to high density Bluegill population with average size structure. Recent interest in quality sized Bluegill have led to efforts to obtain additional information on the size structure of spawners in this population. In 2025, a targeted survey for Bluegill was conducted from June 9 - 12, when water temperatures ranged from 62 to 65 degrees. This survey was completed using 12 trap nets set for three consecutive days (36 net nights) prior to Bluegill spawning. This survey was the first survey to target spawning adult Bluegill on Sand Lake.
Read the full DNR narrative
This survey indicated that the Bluegill population in Sand Lake is high with a smaller size structure. A total of 1,369 Bluegill were sampled in 2025 for a catch rate of 38/net. Lengths ranged from 2.1 to 9.1 inches with an average length of 6.7 inches. Only 8 percent of the Bluegill sampled measured 8 inches or longer.
Other species measured were Black Crappie and pumpkinseed. A total of 113 Black Crappie were sampled for a catch rate of 3.2/net. Black Crappie lengths ranged from 6.2 to 12.8 inches with an average length of 9.5 inches. Twenty percent of crappies sampled were 10 inches or longer. A total of 106 pumpkinseed were sampled for a catch rate of 2.9/net. Pumpkinseed lengths ranged from 3.8 to 8.7 inches with an average length of 6.8 inches. Nine percent of pumpkinseeds sampled were 8 inches or longer.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Sand Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Sand Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Sand Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Sand Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Island Lake · 527 ac · 1.5 mi
- Echo Lake · 108 ac · 2.2 mi
- Sturgeon Lake · 1,706 ac · 2.6 mi
- Moosehead Lake · 279 ac · 2.6 mi
- Moose Lake · 133 ac · 3.7 mi
- Dago Lake · 118 ac · 4 mi
- Passenger Lake · 67 ac · 4.8 mi
- Hanging Horn Lake · 409 ac · 6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Sand Lake?
Sand Lake reaches 47 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 18 ft; about 41% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Sand Lake?
Sand Lake covers 527 acres with about 6.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Sand Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Sand Lake average 8.5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Sand Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Sand Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Sand Lake have a public access?
Yes. Sand Lake has one public access site: Sand Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Sand Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 29"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Sand Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Sand Lake in 2025, the most recent of 14 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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