Big Sugar Bush Lake
Big Sugar Bush Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 16.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- 42 ft
- Area
- 522 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 17
- Open water
- 224 days
Next lake in Becker County
Big Sugar Bush Lake is a 522-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 42 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 16.5 ft down. Phosphorus level: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 38.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Big Sugar Bush Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Big Sugar Bush Lake in Becker County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
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Water Temperature
Big Sugar Bush Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 42 ft |
| Surface Area | 522 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 14.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 57% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Big Sugar Bush LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Sugar Bush Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-27 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.73 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 14.78 | 0.55 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 13.91 | 0.21 lb |
| BKF | 12.47 | — |
| IOD | 7.79 | — |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.46 | 0.23 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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 Bass
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
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.073 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.31 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.15 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (35 observations).
Estimated open water season: 224 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2016-03-31 (2016) | 2022-05-06 (2022) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-12 (2018) | 2017-12-14 (2017) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-17
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 84 lakes in Becker County
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Big Sugar Bush Lake
What is the water quality grade for Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Big Sugar Bush Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Big Sugar Bush Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Big Sugar Bush Lake?
- Big Sugar Bush Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, 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.
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.
Explore Big Sugar Bush Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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