Sand Lake (Itasca County)
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31082600
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Sand Lake (Itasca County) since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (950,000 fish).
- Sand Lake (Itasca County) has 8 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2017-2025): walleye (8).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 9,500,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 70 ft; surface area 3,579 acres, 1,897 littoral acres, 15.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.9 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, golden redhorse, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, and 8 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Squaw Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 31082600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 950,000 | 10.5 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 950,000 | 9.3 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 950,000 | 9.5 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 950,000 | 9.9 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 950,000 | 9.8 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 950,000 | 9.6 |
| 2018 | Walleye1 | fry | 1,900,000 | 19.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 1,900,000 | 17.9 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Southeast shore in the narrows. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown bullhead | Special trap nets | 5.23 | 314 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Special trap nets | 4.62 | 277 | 0.40 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Special trap nets | 2.05 | 123 | 0.00 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Special trap nets | 1.75 | 105 | 0.00 |
| Golden redhorse | Special trap nets | 1.62 | 97 | 0.00 |
| Rock bass | Special trap nets | 0.93 | 56 | 0.00 |
| Yellow bullhead | Special trap nets | 0.85 | 51 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | Special trap nets | 0.65 | 39 | 0.35 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Sand Lake has a strong track record for producing quality Bluegill and Black Crappie, which are a couple of the main fish species managers focus on. Since 2022, Bluegill have been managed under a special 5-fish daily limit to help maintain good size structure and keep quality fish in the lake. The goal from the lake management plan is to provide consistent opportunities to catch solid, keeper-sized Bluegill, including fish over 10 inches. Black Crappie are managed under standard statewide rules, with a goal of maintaining a modest number of memorable-sized crappies over 12 inches. The 2025 survey was one of four spring surveys, but the first check of Bluegill since the new regulation went into effect. During spring trap netting, crews sampled 277 Bluegill, which is similar to what was found in the last targeted survey in 2016. Bluegill ranged from just under 3 inches up to 9.8 inches, with an average length of 7.7 inches. The size breakdown shows a healthy number of fish in the 6 to 8 inch range and a good portion over 8 inches. However, this was the first spring survey where no Bluegill over 10 inches were captured, meaning the lake only partially met the management goal for larger fish. Even so, the overall size structure remained quality and comparable to past surveys. Male and female Bluegill were present in about equal numbers, indicating fish were beginning to mobilize in preparation for spawning during the survey. Both sexes showed similar size patterns. Bluegill began to mature at 4 inches. Ages ranged from 2 to 9 years old, with most fish between ages 4 and 7. Growth was average early in life but exceeded lake averages by age 3. Bluegill typically reached 8 inches (considered quality size) by age 7. Black Crappie were caught at a lower rate than in the previous targeted survey. Only a few were captured, and the lower catch rate was likely influenced more by survey timing than by actual numbers. The fish that were sampled averaged 10.6 inches, suggesting anglers can still expect to find quality-sized crappies in the lake. Other fish species observed during the survey included Brown and Yellow Bullhead, Bowfin, Golden Redhorse, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Shorthead Redhorse, Silver Redhorse, Walleye, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch. Painted Turtles and Snapping Turtles were also noted. Overall, Sand Lake continues to offer solid panfishing opportunities, especially for anglers targeting keeper-sized Bluegill and Black Crappie.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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