Sucker Lake
Ramsey County, Minnesota63 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sucker Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 26 ft max depth
Sucker Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 63.44 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2005 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Sucker Lake. DNR survey details →
Sucker Lake is a 63-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Sucker Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Sucker Lake covers about 63 acres in Ramsey County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Sucker Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Sucker Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing13 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Sucker Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether 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 Sucker Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Sucker Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft. Phosphorus 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.7 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 37µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.7µg/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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Sucker Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sucker Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°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 (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 16 field readings (2019–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sucker Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2005 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Sucker Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sucker Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2005-07-25 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2005-07-25 (Standard Survey)
21 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 52.68 | 10–13 in 2000-07-24 | 0.36 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 22.48 | 3–6 in 2005-07-25 | 0.1 lb |
| Bluegill | 16.43 | 1–9 in 2005-07-25 | 0.15 lb |
| White Crappie | 11.25 | 0.43 lb | |
| Smallmouth Bass | 8.79 | 12–19 in 2000-07-24 | 2.45 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.11 | 15–28 in 2005-07-25 | 2.3 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Smallmouth Bass
From the 2005-07-25 survey
Sucker Lake is a small lake in Ramsey County. It lies entirely within the Grass - Vadnais (Snail Lake) Regional Park. Anglers can gain access to the lake shore through the park. Boats are not allowed on the lake. Bluegill were the most abundant species sampled during the survey. Their numbers are considered to be…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sucker Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SuckerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
63 acres
Shoreline
2.1 mi
Littoral zone
89%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
47 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
879 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sucker Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sucker Lake in Ramsey 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Sucker Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Sucker Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sucker Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.24 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.1 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Sucker Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0028-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Sucker Lake
Where is Sucker Lake?
- Sucker Lake is a lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sucker Lake?
- Sucker Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 63.44 acres.
Is Sucker Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sucker Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sucker Lake?
- Sucker Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 16 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sucker Lake?
- Sucker Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 63.44 acres.
What fish are in Sucker Lake?
- Fish species found in Sucker Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sucker Lake is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sucker Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2005 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Sucker Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sucker Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Sucker Lake?
- Public access to Sucker Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Sucker Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Ramsey County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Sucker Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
129 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA129 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder