Sugar Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota416 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sugar Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Sugar Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 415.87 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 6, 2024 caught 0.89 walleye per gill net at Sugar Lake. DNR survey details →
Sugar Lake is a 416-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 45 feet. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Sugar Lake covers about 420 acres in Aitkin County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 16, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Sugar Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Sugar Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
- Deep water45 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sugar Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sugar 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 Sugar Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Sugar Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.2 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.2µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Sugar Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sugar Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 67°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (67°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 138 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sugar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 6, 2024 caught 0.89 walleye per gill net at Sugar Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sugar Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-06 (Targeted Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-06 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 13.35 | 3–9 in 2024-08-06 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 11.80 | ||
| Yellow Bullhead | 8.04 | 4–12 in 2024-08-06 | 0.49 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.11 | 9–36 in 2024-08-06 | 1.53 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
Northern Pike
From the 2024-08-06 survey
Sugar Lake is a 398-acre lake located east of Glen, in south central Aitkin County, and has a state-owned public access on the south shore. About 60 percent of the lake is less than 15 feet deep, with a 25-foot basin in the east end of the lake and a 45-foot basin in the south-central part of the lake. The water is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sugar Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SugarFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Sugar (0017)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SugarFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SugarPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
45 ft
Surface area
416 acres
Shoreline
4.1 mi
Littoral zone
64%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,286 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Sugar 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 Sugar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sugar Lake in Aitkin 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 Sugar 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.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sugar Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 16
Earliest Apr 10, 2005 · Latest May 11, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 25, 2003 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 11
2015
13 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Sugar Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN01-0087-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Sugar Lake
Where is Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 415.87 acres.
Is Sugar Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sugar Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September, from 138 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake has a maximum depth of 45 feet. The lake covers 415.87 acres.
What fish are in Sugar Lake?
- Fish species found in Sugar Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sugar Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sugar Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 6, 2024 caught 0.89 walleye per gill net at Sugar Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sugar Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Sugar Lake thaw?
- Sugar Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 229 days.
Are there boat ramps on Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sugar Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Sugar Lake?
- Sugar 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.
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Where this data comes from
28 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
MNPCA28 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate