Sugar Lake
Sugar Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 1014.21 acres.
- Clarity
- 16.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 72°F
- Max depth
- 69 ft
- Area
- 1,014 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 20
- Open water
- 229 days
Next lake in Wright County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Sugar Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Sugar Lake is a 1,014-acre mesotrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 69 feet (25-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Sugar Lake ranks #14 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-15. 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)
Crystal clear, you can see 16.5 ft down. Phosphorus level: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Sugar Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sugar Lake in Wright 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 72°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 72°F) and coldest in Oct (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 83 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sugar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 69 ft |
| Average Depth | 25.1 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,014 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 8.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 35% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Sugar Lake (North)Public
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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-08 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 36.45 | — |
| Bluegill | 32.94 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 26.55 | 0.6 lb |
| Muskellunge | 19.37 | 15.05 lb |
| BKS | 13.26 | — |
| Spottail Shiner | 9.91 | 0.02 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.
Bluntnose Minnow
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Muskellunge
From the 2025-07-08 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Sugar Lake was conducted on July 8-9th, 2025, by Area Fisheries staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at…
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 (2012)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: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.003 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.09 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.25 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (27 observations).
Estimated open water season: 229 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2016-03-17 (2016) | 2018-05-04 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2013-11-27 (2013) | 2001-12-20 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2022-04-22
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 MN86-0233-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #14 of 51 lakes in Wright County
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Sugar Lake
What is the water quality grade for Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 1014.21 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 3.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in August, from 83 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sugar Lake?
- Sugar Lake has a maximum depth of 69 feet and an average depth of 25.1 feet. The lake covers 1014.21 acres.
What fish are in Sugar Lake?
- Fish species found in Sugar Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Sugar Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
When does Sugar Lake thaw?
- Sugar Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 20. Ice typically forms around Dec 5. 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 (North). Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Sugar Lake across LakeGrade
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Wright County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Compare Sugar Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
122 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA122 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 (3)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate