Minnesota · Stearns County
Sand Lake Fishing guide
Sand Lake covers 209 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota, reaching 15 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 3 times, most recently in 2012, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 14 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
BluegillJust a few17.6per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 158 fish
Recent · 2012Lengths measured · 158 fish
2012Lengths measured · 346 fish
2002CrappieOne of the best around318per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 2862 fish
Recent · 2012Lengths measured · 2862 fish
2012Lengths measured · 151 fish
2002Rates 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
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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 100% 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. 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 | Walleye | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 19" | 16" | 25" |
| 2002 | 18" | 15" | — |
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:
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
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 2012 survey
Sand Lake is located in north central Stearns County, three miles southwest of Albany. It has a surface area of 202 acres and a maximum depth of about 15 feet. A public access is located along the west shore. Due to the shallowness of the lake and poor water quality, the lake periodically experiences partial winterkill. This occurred most recently during 2011. A population assessment was conducted in 2012 to assess fish populations, and included spring electrofishing and summer trap netting. Catch rates were compared to lakes with similar characteristics as a way to evaluate the fish populations.
Sand Lake is managed for walleye and crappie, and these species can grow quickly following winterkill events. Walleye were stocked as fry in 2005, and survival was moderate (21.5 fingerlings/hour), based on night electrofishing in the fall of 2005. Gillnets, which sample walleye most effectively, were not used in the 2012 survey and only one 20 inch walleye was sampled by trap nets. Anglers have reported some success for walleyes in Sand Lake, but a more thorough assessment that includes gillnets would be necessary to accurately measure walleye abundance. The population of black crappie appeared to be very good both in terms of numbers and average size. Black crappies were sampled at a rate of 318/trap net, which is over 15 times greater than the range typically found in lakes similar to Sand. Most of the crappies were about 7.5 inches in length, but 13 percent of the crappies sampled were greater than nine inches. Without additional winterkill, these crappie should provide a good fishery for the next few years.
Read the full DNR narrative
Only three largemouth bass were captured in a half hour of electrofishing. The water clarity was very poor at the time of sampling and likely affected the catch. The bass ranged in size between 15 and 17 inches in length. Smallmouth bass have also been sampled in previous surveys.
The catch rate of bluegill was within the range of expected values for similar lakes. Most bluegill were between 5-7 inches in length.
Only one northern pike (25 inches) and one yellow perch (8.5 inches) were sampled in trap nets.
Other species sampled during the survey included bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, and golden shiner. Large numbers of common carp were observed during the spring electrofishing and most were between 14 and 16 inches in length.
Despite the fact that the watershed of Sand Lake is quite small, water quality is poor. Nutrients entering the lake from run-off, as well as those re-suspended from the lake bottom, create nuisance algal blooms. The reduced water clarity also limits growth of submersed aquatic plants, which provide important fish habitat. Much of the shore is lined with cattails and bulrush, which offers habitat for fish and wildlife, and also provides protection from shoreline erosion.
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
- Kings Lake · 204 ac · 6.5 mi
- Koop Lake · 60 ac · 7.5 mi
- Clear Lake · 118 ac · 7.6 mi
- Pitts Lake · 114 ac · 7.6 mi
- Pine Lake · 108 ac · 7.6 mi
- Long Lake · 92 ac · 7.7 mi
- Minnie Lake · 27 ac · 7.9 mi
- Black Oak Lake · 95 ac · 8.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Sand Lake?
Sand Lake reaches 15 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 7.2 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Sand Lake?
Sand Lake covers 209 acres with about 2.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Sand Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Sand Lake average 3 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Sand Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2012) 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: Sand Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Sand Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2002.
When was Sand Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Sand Lake in 2012, the most recent of 3 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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