沙湖镇建制于隋唐前，原称鸟渔兜。据说，宋仁宗巡视八百里洞庭湖路过沙湖，只见退水后的湖滩积沙在晚霞的映照下，金光闪闪，耀眼辉煌，不禁叹道：好一片玉沙！至此，乌渔兜称为“玉沙”。4年过后，时值涨水时节，仁亲再度巡视此地，其随同诗人即兴赋诗一首：“玉沙问俗暂停模 Shahu town system in the Sui and Tang dynasties, formerly known as the bird fishing pocket. It is said that Song Renzong visited eight hundred miles of Dongting Lake passing Shahu, saw the retreat of the beach sand in the sunset under the shining, brilliant, can not help but sigh: a good Yusha! At this point, Wu Yu pocket called “Yusha.” Four years later, the time when the water up season, benevolence patrol again here, with the poet impromptu poem: "Yusha asked suspended mode