Bad Medicine Lake vs Big Sugar Bush Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Bad Medicine Lake and Big Sugar Bush Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of A (Excellent). Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
A
Bad Medicine Lake
Becker County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 25 ft down.
A
Big Sugar Bush Lake
Becker County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 17 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Bad Medicine Lake | Big Sugar Bush Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 25 ft | 17 ft |
| Phosphorus | 6 µg/L | 10 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 84 ft | 42 ft |
| Surface Area | 803.03 acres | 521.51 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 13 | 13 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Bad Medicine Lake: 25 ft, Big Sugar Bush Lake: 17 ft) and what you want from the lake. Bad Medicine Lake matches its peer on species count.