West Sarah Lake

Hennepin County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

50ft Max
depth

358 acres 7 contours Public access

Paddling Index48Modest

Get directions

Depth scale

05101520304050

The lake

Survey readout

West Sarah Lake is mapped to a depth of 50 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 358 acres in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1982.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 50 ft
Survey year: 1982
Surface area: 358 acres
Shoreline: 7.18 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Lake Sarah, Kohen Memorial Landing Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details7 contours

Contour depths: 0–50 ft
Recorded point soundings: 50 ft, 15 ft

Compare with another lake

Location

Hennepin County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 58 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: 45.06739, -93.69101
MN DNR lake ID: 27019101
Vertical exaggeration: 1.98×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.3 MB

Paddling

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

48 / 100ModestData confidence: High

West Sarah Lake has a partly natural setting, moderate open-water exposure, nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Good	15.9 of 35	56% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (23% forest, 33% wetland; 26% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	13.1 of 29	mean fetch 1,536 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch
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	1 DNR public access site · boat ramp
Road isolation	Mixed	4.2 of 18	nearby higher-volume roads · 3 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 12,736 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 1% 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: Moderate — 23% forest and 33% 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 2021–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

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

Hybrid Sunfish

Golden Shiner

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 2022

1,510Fish sampled

14Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 89 · Walleye 25 · Bowfin 6 · Largemouth Bass 4

Panfish Black Crappie 503 · Bluegill 475 · Pumpkinseed 21

All survey species14 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike89 caught · to 36″

Walleye25 caught · to 25″

Bowfin6 caught · to 23″

Largemouth Bass4 caught · to 15″

Panfish

Black Crappie503 caught · to 10″

Bluegill475 caught · to 8″

Pumpkinseed21 caught · to 7″

Yellow Perch20 caught · to 8″

Hybrid Sunfish5 caught · to 8″

Green Sunfish1 caught · to 4″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead348 caught · to 15″

Brown Bullhead7 caught · to 14″

Black Bullhead4 caught · to 11″

Forage & nongame

Golden Shiner2 caught · to 6″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey of the whole lake (DOW 27019100), which includes this basin (LakeFinder).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2017–2022

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

Walleye6,400 stocked · 2017–2022 · 4 plantings

Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report for the whole lake (DOW 27019100). LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Plants & algae

Eurasian WatermilfoilConfirmed in this water in 1990 (listed 1995).

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

West Sarah Lake — common questions

How deep is West Sarah Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of West Sarah Lake is 50 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 West Sarah Lake?

West Sarah Lake covers about 358 acres in Hennepin County, Minnesota.

What fish are in West Sarah Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill. The page lists all 14 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to West Sarah Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on West Sarah Lake: a boat ramp with a boat dock and restrooms. It is administered by City of Greenfield. DNR directions: "In Greenfield, N of Cnty Rd 11 on Lake Sarah Dr, then N on access road to S shore."

More lakes in Hennepin County