Sand Lake (Otter Tail County)
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56094200
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Sand Lake (Otter Tail County) since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (100,000 fish).
- Sand Lake (Otter Tail County) has 4 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2017-2025): walleye (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 400,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 29 ft; surface area 152 acres, 99 littoral acres, 3.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Pelican Rapids; DNR lake number (DOW) 56094200.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 100,000 | 0.9 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 100,000 | 0.9 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 100,000 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 100,000 | 0.9 |
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.
DNR fish survey, 2004
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 126.00 | 756 | 0.05 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 18.00 | 108 | 0.13 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.00 | 42 | 2.33 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.50 | 21 | 3.39 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 10 | 0.16 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 10 | 0.07 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 2.03 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 0.24 |
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 is 124-acres in size and is located in the northwestern part of Otter Tail County. It is located approximately five miles north of Pelican Rapids, MN. The immediate watershed is composed of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth of Sand Lake is 29 feet; however, 80% of the lake is less than 15 feet in depth. The secci disk reading during the 2004 lake survey was 5.9 feet. Previous secchi disk readings have ranged from 5.2 to 10.0 feet. Periodic plankton/algae blooms throughout the summer months can influence secchi disk readings. Sand Lake is susceptible to winterkill during severe winters and most recently experienced a partial winterkill during the winter of 1996-1997. Sand Lake is included in class 38 of the MN DNR lake classification scheme. The majority of the shoreline of Sand Lake has not been developed. Within the past couple years, four new homes have been built on the south shoreline and more lots have been developed to build on. A state owned public access is located off State Hwy 59 along the east shoreline of the lake. Because of high water levels, the concrete access gets covered by sand and can be a problem when putting in and taking out watercraft. The shoal water substrates consist of sand, gravel, and muck. Stands of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are scattered along the shoreline of the lake. Emergent aquatic plants such as bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can actually absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as northern pike, largemouth bass, andpanfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain excellent water quality and angling that our county lakes have to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. The northern pike and walleye populations appear to be in good shape. Some spawning habitat is available for these species. Northern pike up to 35.0 inches and walleye up to 27.0 inches were sampled in 2004. Northern pike mean length at capture was 22.0 inches, while walleye mean length at capture was 20.4 inches. Walleye fry are stocked every other year to supplement natural reproduction. Historically, bluegill, black crappie, and largemouth bass numbers are very low or nonexistent; however, the bluegill and black crappie populations appear to have…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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