Sugar Lake
Sugar Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). 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.
- Clarity
- 8.4 ft
- Typical in August
- 71°F
- Max depth
- 22 ft
- Area
- 1,509 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Itasca County
Sugar Lake is a 1,509-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 22 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 3 sampling years through 2025. 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 with 3 public boat landings. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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.
Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4.9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 18 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay 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.
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Water Temperature
Sugar Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 22 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,509 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 6.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 84% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake Winnibigoshish (West)Public
- Becker's Resort and CampgroundSemi-private
- Four Seasons ResortSemi-private
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1993-08-23 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 40.09 | 0.17 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.21 | 1.45 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 2.17 | 0.78 lb |
| Walleye | 1.50 | 3.27 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.42 | 0.34 lb |
| Bowfin | 1.33 | 3.67 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.
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
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.87 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +2.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
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
County Ranking
Ranked #55 of 72 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Sugar Lake holds Grade C. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Sugar Lake
What is the water quality grade for Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). 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?
- Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Sugar Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4.9 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, 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.
Are there boat ramps on Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Winnibigoshish (West), Becker's Resort and Campground, Four Seasons Resort. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Sugar Lake across LakeGrade
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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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)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory