Lower Sucker Lake
Cass County, Minnesota592 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Lower Sucker Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
Lower Sucker Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 591.84 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Lower Sucker Lake. DNR survey details →
Lower Sucker Lake is a 592-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 35 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Lower Sucker Lake ranks #79 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lower Sucker Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Deep water35 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 Lower Sucker 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 Lower Sucker Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Lower Sucker Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.3 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.5 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.5µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lower Sucker Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lower Sucker Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 61°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 63°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (63°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 261 field readings (2023–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lower Sucker Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Lower Sucker Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Sucker Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-01 (Targeted Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-01 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 45.62 | 4–9 in 2024-07-01 | 0.14 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.27 | 9 in 2024-07-01 | 0.66 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.
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
From the 2024-07-01 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Lower Sucker Lake, which is located wholly within the Leech Lake Reservation, was conducted on July 1-3, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lower Sucker Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Lower SuckerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Lower Sucker (1624)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Lower SuckerFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lower SuckerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
35 ft
Surface area
592 acres
Shoreline
4 mi
Littoral zone
51%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
32 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,293 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lower Sucker Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Lower Sucker Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lower Sucker Lake
- → Lower Sucker Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Lower Sucker Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Lower Sucker Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Lower Sucker Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.7 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Sucker Lake
Where is Lower Sucker Lake?
- Lower Sucker Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lower Sucker Lake?
- Lower Sucker Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 591.84 acres.
Is Lower Sucker 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 Lower Sucker Lake?
- Lower Sucker Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 261 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lower Sucker Lake?
- Lower Sucker Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake covers 591.84 acres.
What fish are in Lower Sucker Lake?
- Fish species found in Lower Sucker Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Lower Sucker Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lower Sucker Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 1, 2024 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Lower Sucker Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Sucker Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Lower Sucker Lake?
- Public access to Lower Sucker Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Lower Sucker Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
78 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX48 samples · 2023–2024 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA30 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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