Lake Sarah

Murray County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

8ft Max
depth

1,144 acres 4 contours Public access

Paddling Index40Modest

Get directions

Depth scale

02468

The lake

Survey readout

Lake Sarah is mapped to a depth of 8 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 1,144 acres in Murray County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 2010.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 8 ft
Survey year: 2010
Surface area: 1,144 acres
Shoreline: 6.33 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Lake Sarah Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 3 more

Additional depth details4 contours

Contour depths: 0–8 ft
Recorded point soundings: 8 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft

Compare with another lake

Location

Murray County, Minnesota · all 8 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MN DNR Lake Bathymetric Contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

⚠ Not for navigation

Spot an error? Send a correction

Map details & sources4 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 44.15404, -95.76818
MN DNR lake ID: 51006300
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 1.9 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25

40 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Lake Sarah has a mixed natural and developed setting, notable open-water exposure, some nearby classified roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Mixed	8.1 of 35	27% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (2% forest, 22% wetland; 15% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Mixed	7.5 of 29	mean fetch 2,441 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long fetch in some directions
Motor & speed rules	Not modeled	—	Minnesota’s lake-by-lake motor, speed and no-wake rules are mostly county and city ordinances, not map data, so they are not part of the Minnesota index. Check local signage and ordinances before going out.
Public access	Good	15.0 of 18	4 DNR public access sites · boat ramp · fishing pier
Road isolation	Good	9.6 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 4 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,000 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Low — approximately 0% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: Limited — 2% forest and 22% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Minnesota lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public land-cover, access and traffic-count data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights for Minnesota lakes: natural setting 35%, geometric wind exposure 29%, public access 18%, road isolation 18%. Motor, speed and no-wake rules are not modeled for Minnesota, and traffic counts cover state, county and some city roads but not township roads. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Minnesota scores are relative to other Minnesota lakes and are not directly comparable with Paddling Index scores on our sister sites, which use different data sources, some with a watercraft-rules component. Sources: MN DNR lake bathymetry outline, USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MN DNR Water Access Sites and Fishing Piers & Shore Fishing Sites (2026-09) and MnDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (counts 2024). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

8 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).

Common Carp

Bigmouth Buffalo

White Sucker

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

Compiled from Minnesota DNR fishery surveys and Minnesota DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Fishery

surveyed 2024

3,035Fish sampled

8Species

Gamefish Walleye 186

Panfish Black Crappie 68 · Yellow Perch 38

All survey species8 species

Gamefish

Walleye186 caught · to 28″

Panfish

Black Crappie68 caught · to 13″

Yellow Perch38 caught · to 11″

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead2,657 caught · to 14″

Yellow Bullhead2 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

Bigmouth Buffalo62 caught · to 11″

Common Carp20 caught · to 14″

White Sucker2 caught · to 14″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2016–2017

Fish the Minnesota DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye453,676 stocked · 2016–2017 · 2 plantings

Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Mussels & snails

Zebra MusselConfirmed in this water in 2018 (listed 2018).

How to identify invasive species in Minnesota lakes →

What does the infested waters list mean?

The Minnesota DNR lists a lake, river, pond or wetland as infested when it contains an aquatic invasive species that could spread to other waters, or when it is connected to a water where one is present. Activities such as bait harvest and water use are managed differently on infested waters. Check the current list before moving water, bait or equipment.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. List of Infested Waters, September 9, 2026. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html

Quick answers

Lake Sarah — common questions

How deep is Lake Sarah?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Lake Sarah is 8 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Lake Sarah?

Lake Sarah covers about 1,144 acres in Murray County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Lake Sarah?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include walleye, black bullhead, black crappie, yellow bullhead, yellow perch, bigmouth buffalo. The page lists all 8 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Lake Sarah?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 4 public access sites on Lake Sarah: Lake Sarah Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Sarah Lake (E) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Sarah Lake (W) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Sarah Fishing Pier (public fishing pier).

More lakes in Murray County