Sarah Lake (Hennepin County)
Hennepin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 27019100
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Sarah Lake (Hennepin County) since 2017, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2022 (3,000 fish).
- Sarah Lake (Hennepin County) has 4 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2017-2022): walleye (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 6,400 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 59 ft; surface area 557 acres, 373 littoral acres, 7.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Hennepin County, nearest town Rockford; DNR lake number (DOW) 27019100.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 3,000 | 100.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 1,400 | 77.8 |
| 2018 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 1,000 | 100.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 1,000 | 50.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| asphalt ramp | city | - City of Greenfield access on south side of lake-- north on Geneker Way from South Lake Sarah Dr. Appx. 15 parking spots total among 2 lots; true number depends on vehicle arrangements. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 44.62 | 357 | 0.17 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 40.25 | 322 | 0.94 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 16.50 | 132 | 0.19 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 10.25 | 82 | 3.21 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.12 | 25 | 3.22 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 12 | 0.10 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.75 | 6 | 1.32 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.62 | 5 | 0.20 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 42.88 | 343 | 0.14 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 18.25 | 146 | 0.18 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 3.25 | 26 | 1.10 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 16 | 0.22 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 8 | 0.15 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.88 | 7 | 2.94 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 4 | 0.34 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 4 | 3.78 |
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.
Lake Sarah is a 561-acre lake with a maximum depth of 59 feet, located southeast of Rockford, in western Hennepin County. Sarah is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike, and also holds healthy populations of Black Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow Bullhead, and Walleye. Walleye have been stocked privately since 2006. In 2021, a reduced possession limit, of 5 each, for Bluegill and crappies was implemented on Lake Sarah. This is part of the statewide "Quality Sunfish Initiative" (https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/sunfish/index.html). A Standard Survey (trap nets and gill nets) was done on Lake Sarah during the week of 7/18/22. During the survey, water clarity was 2.5 feet, with low oxygen below 13 feet. Eurasian Watermilfoil remains present in Lake Sarah. Northern Pike numbers in Lake Sarah were high, with 10.3 fish caught per gill net. Average size of Northern Pike was 25.0 inches, with the largest measured at 36.6 inches. Fish age-2 through age-9 were present in the sample, showing consistent reproduction in this population. Electrofishing for Largemouth Bass was not done in 2022. The previous sampling for bass in 2017 yielded 92 fish at a rate of 52.2 fish per hour. That catch rate is similar to the previous sampling's (2013) rate of 54.0 fish per hour. These similar catch rates suggest a bass population that is consistent in its abundance over time. In 2017, Lake Sarah Largemouth Bass size ranged from 5.4 to 19.7 inches, averaging 11.6 inches and 1.15 lbs. Walleye were captured at an average rate (3.1/net) compared to similar lakes throughout the state. As of the 2017 survey, the Walleye population in Lake Sarah is primarily made up of large individuals, with an average size of 20.9 inches and 3.22 pounds, with the largest measured at 25.6 inches. Walleye grow fast in Lake Sarah, reaching 18.4 inches by age-3. Black Crappie were sampled with gill nets (44.6/net) and trap nets (18.3/net) - at a higher than average catch rate relative to similar lakes. Gill-netted Black Crappie averaged 7.0 inches, trap-netted Black Crappie averaged 6.8 inches, and the largest fish measured at 10.4 inches. Twenty-eight percent of the Black Crappie sampled by both types of nets were larger than 8.0 inches. Bluegill were sampled with trap nets at a rate (42.9/net) similar to historical catches, which have ranged from 18-57 fish/net. Bluegill averaged 5.6 inches, with the largest measured at 8.7 inches. Approximately 18% of sampled fish were greater than 7 inches. Yellow Bullheads are an underutilized resource in Lake Sarah despite high numbers of quality-sized…
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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