White Sand

White Sand is a 415 acre lake in the city of Baxter in Crow Wing County. Largemouth Bass is the primary management species and is monitored through spring electrofishing. Northern Pike and Walleye are secondary management species and larger Walleyes are stocked when available to create a "bonus" fishery. A standard survey using gill nets, trap nets, and spring electrofishing was conducted in August 2025 to assess fish populations and provide angler information. The Largemouth Bass population remained healthy with 116 fish per hour while electrofishing. With 63 percent of the fish over 14 inches and fish up to 19.4 inches present, White Sand looks like a good place to catch some quality Bass. A couple of recent Walleye stockings seem to have done well on White Sand, with 92% of the fish being either age 3 or age 7 (stocked years). These ages average 14.8 and 20.0 inches, offering good opportunities for anglers to catch "eaters" as well as nicer fish right now. The net catch (4.4 per net) was high for this lake and fish ranged from 13.7 to 25.0 inches, with an average size of 17.8 inches. The Northern Pike numbers (8.2 per net) were average. Although fish up to 34.5 inches were captured, 89 percent of the fish were under 22 inches. The silver lining is that none of the fish were in the 22 to 26 inch protected slot, so if you catch a fish, you likely could keep it if you desire to harvest Pike. Black Crappie numbers looked better in gill nets (3.6 per net) than trap nets (0.8 per net). Size looked promising, with 49 percent of the fish over 9 inches and fish measuring up to 12.2 inches. Bluegill numbers were average at 15.7 per net. While anglers can expect a good chance to catch fish, they may have a harder time sorting through fish to get a meal. While 39 percent were over 7 inches, only 1 percent were over 8 inches. Bluegill maxed out at 8.9 inches. Other fish species sampled in the latest survey include Black Bullhead, Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch.

Those familiar with White Sand Lake may think of a lake located conveniently in the city limits of Baxter, with extensive sand beaches, due in part to removal of vegetation by lakeshore owners. With heavy rain and snowfall in recent years, White Sand looks much different, with water up into trees and into lawns and even houses in some areas. The fish community is diverse, with largemouth bass and black crappies currently providing the best options for anglers. Bass were sample by night electrofishing in the spring at a high rate of 133.5/hr. Average length was 13.3" and 64% of the fish were 12" or larger. Black crappie were caught in average numbers for this type of lake at 4.6/gill net. Crappies had an average length of 7.2" and 39% of the fish measured 8" or larger. Fish up to 12.0" were captured. Another possible option in White Sand are walleyes. They are stocked as yearlings or adults up to 512 lbs. in a 4 year window. This basically makes them catchable almost immediately and the netting showed that, as all of the fish were 17" or larger, with an average length of 20.5". The net catch of 2.3/gill net was average for this type of lake. Northern pike and bluegill weren't as impressive. Northern pike numbers and size have been a problem in the past. Since the water level fluctuates dramatically, spawning habitat for pike can disappear in low years and be abundant, with many connections to suitable spawning, in high years. Numbers were down a little in this survey at 6.6/gill net, a reasonable level. In high water years, it is not feasible to operate the northern pike spawning barriers in 2 locations on the lake that may help. Size was relatively small, with an average length of 17.8" and 9% of the fish above the 22"-26" protected slot. Bluegill numbers were average at 9.7/trap net with an average length of 5.3" and 24% of the fish measuring 7" or larger.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in White Sand Lake was conducted on July 1-2, 2019 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Ten sampling stations were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine. Nearshore sampling captured 13 species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass) and no species that are classified as tolerant of disturbance. White Sand Lake is at the top of the watershed and has limited connectivity, it is common for lakes with limited connectivity to have a smaller number of species than lakes that are more connected. The nearshore data are combined with trap net and gill net data from an August 2019 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and healthy habitat (e.g., Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey indicate White Sand Lake is healthy with a FIBI score above the impairment threshold determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Crow Wing River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Black Crappie, Northern Pike, and Rock Bass in White Sand. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

White Sand has a maximum depth of 27 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in White Sand is from 2025.

Yes — White Sand has confirmed Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.