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B

Sucker Lake

Lake County, MinnesotaLimited DataMesotrophic

Sucker Lake carries a solid B grade — strong on most parameters, with measurements that hold up well across the summer season.

A TSI near 41 places Sucker Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. At 111 ft of maximum depth, Sucker Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. Sucker Lake covers 25,953 acres alongside 332.6 miles of shoreline, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Among the 142 graded lakes in Lake County, Sucker Lake sits at rank 41, above the county median.

An invasive species record — spiny waterflea — has been logged at Sucker Lake; Minnesota PCA maintains the official infested-waters list. Walleye are documented at Sucker Lake, one of 14 fish species on record for the lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. Ice-out has been recorded 6 times at Sucker Lake, with a median around May 5. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-07-23. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Water Quality Grade: B, Good

Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. Trophic State Index: 41.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)12 ftB
PhosphorusNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)41Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth111 ft
Surface Area26.0K acres
Shoreline Length332.6 mi
Littoral Zone27%
Public AccessNo

Fish Species

black crappie,bluegill,lake whitefish,largemouth bass,northern pike,northern sunfish,pumpkinseed,rock bass,shorthead redhorse,smallmouth bass,tullibee (cisco),walleye,white sucker,yellow perch

Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.

→ Best fishing times for Sucker Lake (14-day solunar calendar)

→ Is it safe to eat fish from Sucker Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)

Sucker Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Invasive & Introduced Species

Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.

spiny waterflea

Water Quality Trend: Stable

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable-0.03 m/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (6 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
May 5
EarliestLatest
Ice-Out1998-04-14 (1998)2014-05-14 (2014)

Most recent ice-out: 2014-05-14

Location

Loading map…

County Ranking

Ranked #41 of 142 lakes in Lake County

Nearby Lakes in Lake County

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-07 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Walleye9.841.62 lb
Bluegill4.060.34 lb
Yellow Perch3.940.2 lb
Tullibee (Cisco)3.540.89 lb
Northern Pike3.332.79 lb
CIS3.250.52 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.

Walleye

314 fish · 329 in · 2022-08-01
36180trophy 2446810121416182022242628

Bluegill

232 fish · 19 in · 2022-08-01
50250trophy 10123456789

Yellow Perch

268 fish · 410 in · 2022-08-01
12764045678910

Tullibee (Cisco)

80 fish · 517 in · 2022-08-01
1470567891011121314151617

From the 2025-08-07 survey

Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Basswood Lake on August 7th, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sucker Lake. 1 report on file.

EPA Impairment Status

Sucker Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0530-00 · Official waterbody report

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate

Most recent sample: 2023-07-23

Monitoring stations: 15