Minnesota · St. Louis County
Sand Lake Fishing guide
Sand Lake is a 779-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 15 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 6.7 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassPresent0.8per trap net9"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 14 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 14 fish
2023Lengths measured · 40 fish
2018Lengths measured · 5 fish
2014Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
1998Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeOne of the best around19.3per gill net23"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 177 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 177 fish
2023Lengths measured · 136 fish
2018Lengths measured · 76 fish
2014Lengths measured · 37 fish
1998BluegillJust a few16.8per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 252 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 252 fish
2023Lengths measured · 193 fish
2018Lengths measured · 340 fish
2014Lengths measured · 53 fish
1998CrappieJust a few7.8per trap net6"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 124 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 124 fish
2023Lengths measured · 139 fish
2018Lengths measured · 119 fish
2014Lengths measured · 6 fish
1998Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchGood numbers12.2per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 75 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 75 fish
2023Lengths measured · 43 fish
2018Lengths measured · 19 fish
2014Lengths measured · 581 fish
1998Rates 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. With 99% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 15-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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. With 99% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 15-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 36" | 27" | 18" |
| 2018 | 37" | 22" | 18" |
| 2014 | 39" | 28" | 16" |
| 1998 | 34" | 27" | 18" |
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 · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Sand Lake is a 779 acre lake located 10 miles north of Virginia. The lake was not stratified on 08/21/2023, had a temperature of 73F, a secchi visibility of 6.3 feet, and a max depth of 15 feet. The water had a green tint. Sand is highly developed and aquatic vegetation is very abundant. The Sand Lake Association operates a permitted weed-harvester to control the top 4 feet of aquatic vegetation.
There is a private access at Voyageur's Sand Lake Resort on the lake's northeeast side off State Highway 53. The access is basically a sand beach and space is limited for launching and parking. The landing is quite shallow and may be difficult to launch a large boat from. A small fee is required for use.
Read the full DNR narrative
Fish sampling during the 2023 standard survey consisted of 6 gill nets and 12 trap nets. Electrofishing for bass was not conducted in 2023 but was completed in 2018. Ten species of fish were sampled in 2023. Northern pike and bluegill dominated the gill net and trap net catches, respectively. Black crappie were also sampled in above average numbers. Yellow perch were sampled in below average numbers and walleye were rare. White sucker were absent from the gill net catch and scarce in trap nets.
Northern pike abundance (19.3/net) was well above average for Sand Lake and the Tower area. The average northern pike sampled was 22 inches. Sizes from all gears ranged from 11 to 36 inches. Average length of pike in trap nets was noticeably higher at 25 inches. Anglers could expect excellent pike action and opportunity to harvest.
Bluegill abundance (16.3/net) was also well above average for both Sand Lake and the Tower area. The average bluegill sampled was 7 inches, and lengths ranged from 3 to nearly 9 inches. Bluegill larger than 8 inches represented 14% of the catch. Growth was slow compared to similar lakes. Recruitment was consistent with no missing years.
Black crappie numbers (7.7/net) were above average. The average crappie was not quite 7 inches which was below average for Sand. Lengths ranged from 4.5 to 12 inches. Black crappie larger than 10 inches represented over 10% of the catch. Growth was below average for the area. 2017 and 2015 were strong year classes, but there were no missing years.
Largemouth bass were present in both gears. Lengths ranged from 10.5 to 18. inches. Standard survey gear paints an incomplete picture of bass abundance, but largemouth are likely still thriving in Sand Lake.
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
- Public access (permit required): Voyageur's Sand Lake Resort 218-749-3057 Northeast corner of lake. Same location as RE1.
DNR bathymetry
Sand Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- James Lake · 18 ac · 1.3 mi
- Little Sand Lake · 96 ac · 1.7 mi
- Auto Lake · 97 ac · 2.2 mi
- Fourteen Lake · 386 ac · 4.8 mi
- Leander Lake · 252 ac · 6.1 mi
- Camp A Lake · 18 ac · 6.6 mi
- Dark Lake · 231 ac · 6.9 mi
- Big Rice Lake · 1,917 ac · 7.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Sand Lake?
Sand Lake reaches 15 ft at its deepest point; about 99% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Sand Lake?
Sand Lake covers 779 acres with about 6.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Sand Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Sand Lake average 6.7 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Sand Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Sand Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Sand Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Sand Lake have a public access?
Yes. Sand Lake has one public access site: Public access (Voyageur's Sand Lake Resort 218-749-3057 Northeast corner of lake. Same location as RE1.).
How big do northern pike get in Sand Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 36"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1998.
When was Sand Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Sand Lake in 2023, the most recent of 6 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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