Big Sandy Lake Water Level
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Minnesota
Latest reading Oct 26, 2:15 PM · elevation
Big Sandy Lake is right at full pool today (1,215.96 ft), 0.2 ft higher than a year ago. It is 100% full. It has fallen 0.02 ft since yesterday and is down 0.02 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelReading
Big Sandy Lake fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETLake at full pool and steady, light NE wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 8:05 AM–9:05 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 46°F / low 34°FMostly Cloudy
- WindLight NE4–6 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 12
- Levelat full poolLevel steady (−0.02 ft in 24 h)
Main species
- Walleye
- Northern pike
- Yellow perch
- Black crappie
- Smallmouth bass
- Rock bass
- Tullibee (cisco)
- Channel catfish
- Burbot (eelpout)
Source: Minnesota DNR — game and panfish caught in the DNR 2023 Targeted Survey, as published on the MN DNR LakeFinder: Big Sandy (Aitkin Co.).
Official Minnesota fishing info: Minnesota DNR — Fishing info & LakeFinder
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
7/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:47 AM · Sunset 6:06 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:22 PM–2:22 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset8:05 AM–9:05 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:28 PM–6:28 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 7/10Good | Major 12:22 PM–2:22 PM Minor 8:05 AM–9:05 AM · 5:28 PM–6:28 PM Light wind 4–6 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:51 AM–2:51 AM · 1:20 PM–3:20 PM Minor 9:30 AM–10:30 AM · 6:04 PM–7:04 PM Light wind 7–12 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 4/10Fair | Major 1:51 AM–3:51 AM · 2:23 PM–4:23 PM Minor 10:51 AM–11:51 AM · 6:51 PM–7:51 PM Light wind 4–7 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 2:55 AM–4:55 AM · 3:28 PM–5:28 PM Minor 12:03 PM–1:03 PM · 7:53 PM–8:53 PM Light wind 2–7 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 4:00 AM–6:00 AM · 4:31 PM–6:31 PM Minor 1:00 PM–2:00 PM · 9:08 PM–10:08 PM Calm wind 1–4 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:02 AM–7:02 AM · 5:31 PM–7:31 PM Minor 1:43 PM–2:43 PM · 10:28 PM–11:28 PM Light wind 5–7 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:59 AM–6:59 AM · 5:26 PM–7:26 PM Minor 1:14 PM–2:14 PM · 10:49 PM–11:49 PM Light wind 4–7 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 2 |
| Today | 7, rounded | 7/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 46.79, -93.33 (moon times from astronomical equations, Big Sandy Lake local time).
Weather & wind at Big Sandy Lake
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon46° / 34°Mostly CloudyWind NE 5 mphRain 88%
- Tuesday49° / 38°Rain ShowersWind SE 5 to 10 mphRain 96%
- Wednesday61° / 37°Partly Sunny then Showers And ThunderstormsWind S 5 mphRain 77%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 46.788, -93.328 (grid DLH), issued Oct 26, 2:47 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Past 12 months
daily readings from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers- Today1,215.96 ft
- Same date last year1,215.81 ft+0.2 ft change
- 12-month high1,216.66 ftApr 30, 2026
- 12-month low1,214.41 ftMar 4, 2026
- Full pool1,215.97 ftUSACE
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 1,215.97 | −0.01 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,215.98 | −0.01 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 1,215.99 | +0.01 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,215.98 | +0.01 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,215.97 | −0.01 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,215.98 | ±0.00 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,215.98 | ±0.00 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,215.98 | −0.02 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 1,216.00 | −0.01 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 1,216.01 | +0.02 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Pokegama Lake34 mi · Lake1,272.68 ft−0.99 ft vs normal pool
- Cross Lake (Whitefish Chain)38 mi · Lake1,229.01 ft−0.56 ft vs normal pool
- Leech Lake53 mi · Lake1,294.24 ft−0.66 ft vs normal pool
- Gull Lake55 mi · Lake1,193.79 ft±0.00 ft vs full pool
- Lake Winnibigoshish Lake56 mi · Lake1,298.00 ft−0.44 ft vs normal pool
- Lake Superior at Duluth58 mi · Lake602.15 ft24h +0.21 ft
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Source
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Big Sandy Lake Dam
- Location
- 46.7883, -93.3283 · Minnesota
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation, feet above sea level (NGVD29)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 2:15 PM local time
- History
- 399 days on file since 2025-09-21
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Full pool
- 1,215.97 ft — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Top of Conservation)
- Storage
- 58,689 of 58,950 acre-ft (Top of Conservation)
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.