Sandy Lake (Sherburne County)
Sherburne County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 71004000
Sandy Lake (Sherburne County) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Sandy Lake (Sherburne County) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 41 ft, mean depth 14 ft; surface area 64 acres, 42 littoral acres, 1.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 12.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Sherburne County, nearest town Crown; DNR lake number (DOW) 71004000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/1/1984 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | TOW | Access on south side of lake off of Lake Frontage Road. - Closed for the summer months used as a designated swimming area. |
| concrete ramp | TOW | Only room for two boat trailers. |
DNR fish survey, 2012
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 34.20 | 27 | 1.48 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 9.67 | 29 | 1.50 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 8.33 | 25 | 0.42 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.33 | 7 | 0.07 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 6 | 0.07 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 2 | 0.04 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 1 | 0.18 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 1 | 1.91 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 3.88 | 31 | 0.95 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 3.00 | 24 | 0.11 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 2.50 | 20 | 0.77 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.50 | 12 | 0.19 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.62 | 5 | 0.18 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.38 | 3 | 0.20 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 2 | 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.
Sandy Lake is located in northeastern Sherburne County, 4 miles northeast of Zimmerman. The lake has a surface area of 62 acres, maximum depth of 41 feet, and two small public accesses are located on both the north and south shore. The lake is primarily managed for largemouth bass and northern pike. A population assessment was conducted in 2012 to assess fish populations, and included spring electrofishing and summer test netting (gill nets, and trap nets). Catch rates were compared to lakes with similar characteristics as a way to evaluate the fish populations of Sandy Lake. Largemouth bass were relatively abundant during spring electrofishing; 27 bass were caught in 47 minutes of effort, which is near the daytime average for the Montrose management area. Their size was also good; average length was 13.6 inches, 37 percent of largemouth bass sampled were 15 inches or longer, and the largest individual was 20 inches. Northern pike have increased in numbers and decreased in size since 2002. The catch rate for pike was within the expected range for similar lakes, and average size was 20 inches and 1.6 lbs. The largest individual captured was only 25 inches and less than four percent of the pike sampled were greater than 24 inches in length. Bluegill were small, and their numbers were lower than 2002. Their average catch rate and size (5 inches) were below statewide averages for similar lakes. The largest bluegill captured was 7.6 inches in length. Few black crappie were caught in 2012 and they have been rare in previous surveys as well. The average length was six inches and the largest individual was eight inches. Sandy Lake has a diverse, abundant aquatic plant community and a small watershed, which contributes to good water quality. Landowners can help by protecting or planting native vegetation along the lakeshore.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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