Sarah Lake (Polk County)
Polk County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 60020200
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Sarah Lake (Polk County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (180,087 fish).
- Sarah Lake (Polk County) has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 954,087 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 27 ft, mean depth 13 ft; surface area 366 acres, 180 littoral acres, 5.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Polk County, nearest town Erskine; DNR lake number (DOW) 60020200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/9/1969 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 180,087 | 1.7 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 180,000 | 1.6 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 184,000 | 1.6 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 180,000 | 1.6 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 230,000 | 2.0 |
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 | Minnesota DNR | Southwest shore of lake in section 29. - water level down past logs so have to launch in sand |
DNR fish survey, 2021
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 16.83 | 101 | 1.70 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 15.50 | 93 | 2.00 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 11.00 | 66 | 0.08 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 5.50 | 33 | 2.36 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 18 | 0.51 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 0.56 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 1.82 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.88 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 2.67 | 24 | 0.13 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 18 | 0.12 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.78 | 16 | 0.66 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.67 | 15 | 1.96 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 4.10 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.07 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 4.61 |
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 366-acre lake located in Polk County four miles south of Erskine. This productive lake possesses a heavily developed shoreline and occasionally experiences large water level fluctuations. Lake Sarah provides angling opportunities for Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill, and Black Crappie. A standard fisheries survey was completed on Lake Sarah in July 2021. A special regulation of 10 sunfish per day was implemented on the lake in March 2022. Walleye abundance in 2021 was slightly higher than average but declined from the near record high observed in 2016. Walleye measured in 2021 ranged in length from 9.5 to 29.2 inches, averaging 17.2 inches long. The average length of a four year old Walleye from Lake Sarah measured 16.2 inches, revealing above average growth. Northern Pike abundance was at a record high number in 2011 but have since declined over the last two surveys in 2016 and 2021. Pike measured during the 2021 survey ranged in length from 14.1 to 36.7 inches, averaging 19.4 inches long. Eleven percent of pike had lengths of 24 inches or greater. Bluegill abundance was below average in 2021, with trap nets catching three fish per net. Sampled Bluegill ranged in length from 3.4 to 9.2 inches, averaging 4.8 inches long. Bluegill grow quickly in Lake Sarah, measuring roughly seven inches long by age four. Black Crappie abundance in Lake Sarah was moderate in 2021. Black Crappie ranged in length from 8.5 to 12.5 inches, averaging 10.4 inches long. Largemouth Bass have not been caught in Lake Sarah in significant numbers in historical lake survey assessments. Only one bass was caught in the 2021 survey. Yellow Perch abundance was low in Lake Sarah, with fish measuring five to eight inches long. Additional species sampled in 2021 included Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, and White Sucker. Anglers can help to maintain Lake Sarah's valuable fishery by voluntarily releasing a portion of medium to large sized fish (specifically Northern Pike and Bluegill) and harvesting smaller fish for eating. Shoreline owners can help to improve water quality and fish habitat in Lake Sarah by leaving shoreline buffer zones, leaving stands of native aquatic vegetation intact, and by using wise land management practices to reduce nonpoint source pollution.
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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