Sugar Lake
Sugar Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 699.26 acres.
- Clarity
- 13.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 68°F
- Max depth
- 44 ft
- Area
- 699 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Cass County
Sugar Lake is a 699-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 44 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Sugar Lake ranks #48 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)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 45.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 18 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Sugar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sugar Lake in Cass 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
Sugar Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 68°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 190 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sugar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 44 ft |
| Surface Area | 699 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 46% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Sugar LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sugar Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-15 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 16.55 | 0.22 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.86 | 1.35 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.33 | 0.1 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 4.07 | — |
| JND | 3.87 | — |
| BCS | 3.50 | — |
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
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-07-15 survey
Sugar Lake (DOW# 11-0026; lake class 27) is a 702-acre lake with 345 littoral acres, 6.73 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 44 feet located northeast of Remer, MN. There is a US Forest Service owned public access on the west shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on…
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 (1643)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
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.618 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.9 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Sugar Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN11-0026-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #48 of 104 lakes in Cass County
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Sugar Lake
What is the water quality grade for Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 44 ft. Surface area: 699.26 acres.
Is Sugar Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Sugar Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in August, from 190 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 44 feet. The lake covers 699.26 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, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sugar Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
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.
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Where this data comes from
69 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA69 samples · 2022–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
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