Sugar Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota1,509 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Sugar Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 22 ft max depth
- Public access
Sugar Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 1509.03 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 23, 1993 caught 2.50 walleye per gill net at Sugar Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–26 inches. DNR survey details →
Sugar Lake is a 1,509-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 22 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Sugar Lake ranks #55 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sugar Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water1,509 acres
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. 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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.9 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.9µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Sugar Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sugar Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Oct (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 96 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sugar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 23, 1993 caught 2.50 walleye per gill net at Sugar Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–26 inches.
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 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1993-08-23 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1993-08-23 (Standard Survey)
33 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 40.09 | 1–11 in 1993-08-23 | 0.17 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.21 | 5–33 in 1993-08-23 | 1.45 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 2.17 | 6–12 in 1993-08-23 | 0.78 lb |
| Walleye | 1.50 | 15–26 in 1993-08-23 | 3.27 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.42 | 1–7 in 1993-08-23 | 0.34 lb |
| Bowfin | 1.33 | 18–25 in 1993-08-23 | 3.67 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
Northern Pike
Brown Bullhead
Walleye
From the 1993-08-23 survey
Sugar Lake is commonly thought of as a shallow weedy basin with little fishable water; however, Sugar Lake has a relatively large area of deep (more than 15 feet) water. This deeper water supports large numbers of northern pike and yellow perch, and moderate numbers of walleye. The northern pike range from very small…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sugar Lake. 3 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 (0437)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Sugar (0703)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
22 ft
Surface area
1,509 acres
Shoreline
6.1 mi
Littoral zone
84%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Sugar Lake
- Winnie3.1 km
- Winnie Campground - USFS3.1 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sugar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sugar Lake in Itasca 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.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sugar 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 readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.1 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sugar Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sugar Lake Impoundment (completed 1980), built primarily for other on the Mississippi River-TR; earth-type dam, 14 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 67 ac
- Max storage
- 1,250 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- USDA FS
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN01485 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Sugar Lake
Where is Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake is a lake in Itasca 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 Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 22 ft. Surface area: 1509.03 acres.
Is Sugar 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 Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake typically sits around 52°F at the surface in October, from 96 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake has a maximum depth of 22 feet. The lake covers 1509.03 acres.
What fish are in Sugar Lake?
- Fish species found in Sugar Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sugar Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Sugar Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 23, 1993 caught 2.50 walleye per gill net at Sugar Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 15–26 inches. 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 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Sugar Lake?
- Public access to Sugar 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.
Are there campgrounds on Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Winnie, Winnie Campground - USFS. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Sugar Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
69 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX40 samples · 2024–2025 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA29 samples · 2024–2025
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles