Little Sand

Little Sand Lake is a 409-acre lake with 4 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 12 feet located north of Remer, MN. A DNR owned public access is located on the west shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Little Sand is in Lake Class 39; lakes in this class are generally shallow regularly shaped lakes. Other area lakes in this class include Big Portage, Mabel, Island and Townline. The entire east shore is publicly owned and undeveloped. The lake is primarily managed for Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike and secondarily for Yellow Perch. Past winterkills have been confirmed in Little Sand Lake but surviving fish have responded with strong reproduction, suggesting any winterkill to date has been partial. Black Crappie abundance was below the management goal and lengths ranged from 5 to 8 inches. Bluegill were very abundant with catches above the management goal, with most fish ranging from 3 to 7 inches long. Largemouth Bass up to 20 inches were sampled. Additional sampling is required to develop management goals for Largemouth Bass. Northern Pike abundance was above the management goal and ranged in length from 17 to 30 inches. Northern Pike size goals were met in 2022. Yellow Perch abundance was below the management goal and were 5 to 6 inches long. Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter include, Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Golden Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently, no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Little Sand Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

Little Sand Lake (ID# 11-0092) is a 403-acre lake about 4 miles NW of Remer, MN. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) public access with a concrete ramp is located on the west side of the lake off of Cass County Rd # 4. Little Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The MNDNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Little Sand Lake is in Lake Class 39; lakes in this class are generally shallow with a high percentage of the basin less than 15 feet deep, and they have a regular-shaped shoreline, with few bays or points. The lake is managed primarily for Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike and secondarily for Yellow Perch. Northern Pike were very abundant in the 2013 sampling. Northern Pike up to 29 inches were sampled, however most were 20 to 24 inches. Black Crappie abundance was similar to other Lake Class 39 populations. Though most were less than six inches long, some fish longer than 9 inches were found. Bluegill were very abundant, though almost all were shorter than 6 inches. Pumpkinseed Sunfish were also abundant, and some Pumpkinseed Sunfish from 6 to 8 inches in length were found. Largemouth Bass abundance compared favorably with other lakes of this type and bass from 8 to 18 inches long were sampled. Few Yellow Perch were collected, likely due to the high number of Northern Pike present in Little Sand Lake. The 2013 catch rate of Walleye in Little Sand Lake was also very low despite stocking efforts. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Little Sand Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resources office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the MNDNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

Little Sand Lake is a 403-acre lake about 3 miles NW of Remer, MN. A state-owned public access with a concrete ramp is located on the west side of the lake off of Cass County Rd # 4. Little Sand Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Little Sand Lake is in Lake Class 39; lakes in this class are generally shallow with a high percentage of the basin less than 15 feet deep, and they have a regular-shaped shoreline, with few bays or points. The lake is managed primarily for walleye and secondarily for northern pike and black crappie. During the 2005 sampling on Little Sand Lake, the walleye population was low, however the average size of walleye sampled was 22 inches. Northern pike were abundant; though the northern pike averaged around 22 inches in length, fish up to 38 inches were found. The extremely high population of northern pike and low population of yellow perch are likely limiting the walleye fishery at the present time. Numbers of black crappie were good in 2005, though the average size was small. Bluegill were abundant but small. Other species sampled during the 2005 assessment included hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass, white sucker, and yellow bullhead. Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for table fare, but encourages release of medium- to large-sized fish. Releasing these fish can help maintain balance in the fish community in Little Sand Lake and provide anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Shoreline areas on the land and into the shallow water provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife that live in or near Minnesota's lakes. Overdeveloped shorelines can't support the fish, wildlife, and clean water that are associated with natural undeveloped lakes. The combined effects of all lakeshore owners "fixing up" their property can destroy a lake's valuable natural shorelines.Shoreline habitat consists of aquatic plants, woody plants and natural lake bottom soils. Plants in the water and at the water's edge provide habitat, prevent erosion and absorb excess nutrients. Shrubs, trees, and woody debris such as fallen trees or limbs provide good habitat both above and below the water and should be left in place. Natural lake bottom materials like silt or gravel are more ecologically productive than pure sand trucked in for a swimming beach. A tidy lawn and a sandy beach make great spots for sunbathing and swimming but do little to provide habitat for fish and wildlife. By leaving a buffer strip of natural vegetation along the shoreline, property owners can reduce erosion, help maintain water quality, and provide habitat and travel corridors for wildlife.Only if more lakeshore owners manage their shoreline in a natural condition can fish and wildlife populations on Minnesota lakes remain healthy and abundant. More specific information on protecting or restoring shorelines and watersheds is available through the local DNR Fisheries office.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Walleye in Little Sand. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Little Sand. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Little Sand has a maximum depth of 12 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Little Sand is from 2022.

No invasive species are on record for Little Sand in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.