Portage Lake vs Sugar Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Portage Lake and Sugar Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of C (Fair). Both are in Minnesota.
Both Portage Lake 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: Portage Lake (C) and Sugar Lake (C) 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.
Portage Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft.
Sugar Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Portage Lake | Sugar Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 7.5 ft | 8.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 22 µg/L | 18 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.1 µg/L | 4.9 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 55 ft | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,539 acres | 1,509 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 13 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade C. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Portage Lake: 7.5 ft, Sugar Lake: 8.4 ft) and what you want from the lake. Portage Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.