Sugar

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 physical, chemical and other characteristics. Sugar Lake is in lake class 27; lakes in this class are generally large, deep, and regularly shaped. Other area lakes in lake class 27 include Ada, Crooked, and Lower Sucker lakes. In 2022 a special regulation was put in place on Sugar Lake of a daily limit of five Sunfish. This regulation is intended to help preserve the size quality of this population. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass, Walleye and Yellow Perch and secondarily for Black Crappie, Bluegill and Northern Pike. Largemouth Bass are found in moderate numbers with angling opportunities for both quantity and quality fish. Largemouth Bass averaged 14 inches long and bass up to 19 inches were sampled. Walleye numbers were low and did not meet the management goal of three fish per gill net. Walleye mean length was 20 inches with fish up to 25 inches sampled. Black Crappie were sampled in low numbers not meeting the management goals, lengths ranged from 6 to 10 inches, with an average length of 9 inches. Northern Pike are abundant and ranged in length from 13 to 32 inches, with an average length of 18 inches. Anglers are encouraged to harvest the abundant Northern Pike less than 22 inches in this lake. Bluegill are abundant and provide opportunities for quality size fish. In 2024, 37 percent of the trap net sample measured 8 inches of greater in length. The special regulation of a daily limit of five Sunfish is designed to preserve the quality of this population. Other fish species sampled include Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently Curly Leaf Pondweed an invasive species (AIS) has been identified in Sugar Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

Sugar Lake (DOW# 11-0026; lake class 27) is a 702-acre lake with 6.73 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 44 feet located North-east 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 physical, chemical and other characteristics. Sugar Lake is in lake class 27; lakes in this class are generally large, deep, and regularly shaped. Other class 27 lakes include; Ada, Crooked, and Lower Sucker Lakes. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie and secondarily for Northern Pike, Bluegill, Walleye, and Yellow Perch. Largemouth Bass are abundant with angling opportunities for both quantity and quality fish. Largemouth Bass averaged 11.6 inches long and bass up to 18 inches were sampled. Black Crappie are abundant and ranged in length from 4 to 11 inches, with an average length of 9 inches. Walleye numbers have increased and have exceeded the management goal of three fish per gillnet. Walleye mean length was 18.4 inches with fish up to 28 inches sampled. The lake was previously stocked with fingerlings but most recently with fry. Northern Pike are very abundant and ranged in length from 12 to 28 inches, with an average length of 18 inches. Abundant Bluegill can also provide additional fishing opportunities to anglers with quality size fish present. In 2019, 27 percent of the trap net sample measured 7 inches of greater in length. Other fish species sampled include, Hybrid Sunfish, Yellow Perch, and Rock Bass. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently, no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified Sugar Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species of Sugar Lake (DOW# 11-0026; Lake Class 27) was conducted July 3, 2019 by Walker Area Fisheries Staff to aid in determining the Fish-based IBI (FIBI). Four-teen 100-foot sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake shore, sampling a variety of habitat types. Each site was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot 1/8th-inch mesh seine, depending on habitat conditions. Sites where habitat conditions did not allow for seining were backpack electrofished unless conditions proved difficult for walking. These sites were backpack shocked from the boat. Nearshore sampling captured 15 species of fish including four species that are intolerant of disturbance (Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Least Darter). The nearshore data was combined with data collected during a gill net and trap net survey conducted the week of August 19, 2019 to calculate a FIBI score for the lake. The FIBI Tool-2 was used for scoring and resulted in an FIBI score of 59, which was above the impairment threshold of 45 and below the exceptional threshold of 64 for this tool. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Leech Lake River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Hybrid Sunfish, Bluegill, Walleye, Rock Bass, and Largemouth Bass in Sugar. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Sugar. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Sugar has a maximum depth of 44 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Sugar is from 2024.

No invasive species are on record for Sugar in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.