Big Sugar Bush Lake

Becker County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

40ft Max
depth

423 acres 5 contours Public access

Paddling Index82Very Goodaway from major roads · sheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

01015203040

The lake

Survey readout

Big Sugar Bush Lake is mapped to a depth of 40 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 423 acres in Becker County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1963.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 40 ft
Survey year: 1963
Surface area: 423 acres
Shoreline: 8.02 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 6% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Big Sugar Bush Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details5 contours

Contour depths: 0–40 ft
Recorded point soundings: 40 ft

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Location

Becker County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 85 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MN DNR Lake Bathymetric Contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

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Map details & sources4 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 47.04474, -95.78158
MN DNR lake ID: 03030400
Vertical exaggeration: 2.32×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25

82 / 100Very GoodData confidence: High

Big Sugar Bush Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Very Good	28.0 of 35	80% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (56% forest, 24% wetland; 11% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	20.9 of 29	mean fetch 836 m · 16% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Motor & speed rules	Not modeled	—	Minnesota’s lake-by-lake motor, speed and no-wake rules are mostly county and city ordinances, not map data, so they are not part of the Minnesota index. Check local signage and ordinances before going out.
Public access	Good	15.0 of 18	1 DNR public access site · boat ramp
Road isolation	Excellent	17.6 of 18	relatively isolated from major roads · 0 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Low — approximately 6% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: High — 56% forest and 24% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Minnesota lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public land-cover, access and traffic-count data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights for Minnesota lakes: natural setting 35%, geometric wind exposure 29%, public access 18%, road isolation 18%. Motor, speed and no-wake rules are not modeled for Minnesota, and traffic counts cover state, county and some city roads but not township roads. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Minnesota scores are relative to other Minnesota lakes and are not directly comparable with Paddling Index scores on our sister sites, which use different data sources, some with a watercraft-rules component. Sources: MN DNR lake bathymetry outline, USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MN DNR Water Access Sites and Fishing Piers & Shore Fishing Sites (2026-09) and MnDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (current). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

13 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).

White Sucker

Hybrid Sunfish

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

Compiled from Minnesota DNR fishery surveys and Minnesota DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Fishery

surveyed 2022

1,033Fish sampled

13Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 109 · Largemouth Bass 54 · Walleye 20

Panfish Bluegill 653 · Pumpkinseed 44 · Hybrid Sunfish 39

All survey species13 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike109 caught · to 33″

Largemouth Bass54 caught · to 17″

Walleye20 caught · to 24″

Panfish

Bluegill653 caught · to 9″

Pumpkinseed44 caught · to 8″

Hybrid Sunfish39 caught · to 11″

Black Crappie34 caught · to 12″

Yellow Perch11 caught · to 9″

Green Sunfish1 caught · to 7″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead57 caught · to 11″

Brown Bullhead5 caught · to 12″

Black Bullhead1 caught · to 4″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker5 caught · to 19″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2016–2024

Fish the Minnesota DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye40,020 stocked · 2016–2024 · 10 plantings

Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

Not on the Minnesota DNR’s infested waters list as of September 9, 2026. This does not mean the lake is free of invasive species: the list covers certain species only, and a species can be present before anyone finds it.

What does the infested waters list mean?

The Minnesota DNR lists a lake, river, pond or wetland as infested when it contains an aquatic invasive species that could spread to other waters, or when it is connected to a water where one is present. Activities such as bait harvest and water use are managed differently on infested waters. Check the current list before moving water, bait or equipment.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. List of Infested Waters, September 9, 2026. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html

Quick answers

Big Sugar Bush Lake — common questions

How deep is Big Sugar Bush Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Big Sugar Bush Lake is 40 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Big Sugar Bush Lake?

Big Sugar Bush Lake covers about 423 acres in Becker County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Big Sugar Bush Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill. The page lists all 13 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Big Sugar Bush Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Big Sugar Bush Lake: a boat ramp. It is administered by Becker County. DNR directions: "7.5 mi E of Richwood on Cnty Rd 34, then W .9 mi on Twp Rd to SE shore."

More lakes in Becker County