Big Sugar Bush Lake
Becker County, Minnesota522 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Sugar Bush Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
Big Sugar Bush Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 521.51 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 1.89 walleye per gill net at Big Sugar Bush Lake. DNR survey details →
Big Sugar Bush Lake is a 522-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 42 feet. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Big Sugar Bush Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Big Sugar Bush Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 17
- Deep water42 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Sugar Bush Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Big Sugar Bush Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Big Sugar Bush Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.5 ft down. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Big Sugar Bush Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Sugar Bush Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 203 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Sugar Bush Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Sugar Bush Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (263,027 cells/mL) on November 30, 2024.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 1.89 walleye per gill net at Big Sugar Bush Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Sugar Bush Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-27 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-27 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.73 | 3–9 in 2022-06-27 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 14.78 | 6–11 in 2022-06-27 | 0.55 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 13.91 | 7 in 2022-06-27 | 0.21 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.46 | 3–8 in 2022-06-27 | 0.23 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
Green Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
From the 2022-06-27 survey
Big Sugar Bush is a 472-acre, scenic lake in north-central Becker County, within the boundary of the White Earth Indian Reservation. Water clarity is relatively high (average 17 feet), and a diverse fish community provides a variety of angling opportunities. A standard fisheries survey was completed in June 2022 to…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Big Sugar Bush Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Big Sugar BushFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Big Sugar Bush (1004)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Big Sugar BushFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big Sugar BushPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
42 ft
Surface area
522 acres
Shoreline
14.3 mi
Littoral zone
57%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,490 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Sugar Bush LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Big Sugar Bush Lake
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Follow Big Sugar Bush Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Sugar Bush Lake
- → Big Sugar Bush Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Big Sugar Bush Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Big Sugar Bush Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Big Sugar Bush Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.15 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 17
Earliest Mar 31, 2016 · Latest May 6, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 12, 2018 · Latest Dec 14, 2017
Most recent ice-out
Apr 17
2025
35 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Big Sugar Bush Lake
Where is Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Big Sugar Bush Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Big Sugar Bush Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 521.51 acres.
Is Big Sugar Bush Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Big Sugar Bush Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 203 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Big Sugar Bush Lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet. The lake covers 521.51 acres.
What fish are in Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Sugar Bush Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Big Sugar Bush Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 1.89 walleye per gill net at Big Sugar Bush Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Sugar Bush Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Big Sugar Bush Lake thaw?
- Big Sugar Bush Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 17. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 224 days.
Does Big Sugar Bush Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Big Sugar Bush Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (263,027 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Big Sugar Bush Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Sugar Bush Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Big Sugar Bush Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Big Sugar Bush Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
436 measurements from 7 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA408 samples · 2020–2025 - Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)
WEARTH_WQX28 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (7)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate