Portage Lake vs Sugar Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Sugar Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Portage Lake (B, Good). Both are in Minnesota.
B
Portage Lake
Cass County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft.
B
Sugar Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Portage Lake | Sugar Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 7.5 ft | 7 ft |
| Phosphorus | 23 µg/L | 16 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6.1 µg/L | 4.1 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 55 ft | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 1.5K acres | 1.5K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | No |
| 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
Sugar Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Portage Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 7 ft vs 7.5 ft. For more fish-species variety, Portage Lake edges ahead with 15 documented species.