Lake Winnibigoshish vs Sugar Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sugar Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lake Winnibigoshish (B, Good). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Lake Winnibigoshish and Sugar Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are close: Lake Winnibigoshish (B) and Sugar Lake (B) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
With grades 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.
Lake Winnibigoshish
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft.
Sugar Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Lake Winnibigoshish | Sugar Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 12.1 ft | 8.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | 18 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.3 µg/L | 4.9 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 69.8 ft | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 56,471 acres | 1,509 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 20 | 13 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Sugar Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lake Winnibigoshish's Grade B. Water clarity: 8.4 ft vs 12.1 ft. For more fish-species variety, Lake Winnibigoshish edges ahead with 20 documented species.