Cass Lake Pike Bay vs Lower Sucker Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Cass Lake Pike Bay and Lower Sucker Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Cass County, Minnesota.
Both Cass Lake Pike Bay and Lower Sucker Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Cass Lake Pike Bay versus Lower Sucker Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Cass Lake Pike Bay
Good clarity, visible to about 13.6 ft.
Lower Sucker Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.3 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cass Lake Pike Bay | Lower Sucker Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 13.6 ft Better | 8.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 10.5 µg/L Better | 21 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.4 µg/L Better | 6.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 95 ft Better | 35 ft |
| Surface Area | 4,756 acres | 592 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 20 Better | 14 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Cass Lake Pike Bay or Lower Sucker Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Cass Lake Pike Bay: 13.6 ft, Lower Sucker Lake: 8.3 ft) and what you want from the lake. Cass Lake Pike Bay supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.