Sugar Lake, Itasca County Fishing
Itasca County, 1,509 acres, 22 feet deep.
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Key facts on Sugar Lake, Itasca County
Sugar Lake, Itasca County covers 1,509 acres of Itasca County, by the LakeFinder record. The deepest hole runs 22 feet. Shallow water under 15 feet covers 1,268 acres, roughly 84% of the surface. The closest incorporated city is Bena, about 9 miles away. DNR fisheries staff in Grand Rapids oversee it.
Fish recorded in DNR nets include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, black crappie, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. DNR netting for the initial survey took place on August 23, 1993.
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Catch per net set from the initial survey dated August 23, 1993, beside the range the DNR treats as normal for similar lakes.
| Species | Gear | Caught | Per set | Normal range | Avg lb | Normal lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 15 | 2.5 | 2.9 | ||
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 6 | 0.5 | 3.64 | ||
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 55 | 9.17 | 2.24 | ||
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 39 | 3.25 | 0.66 | ||
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 292 | 48.67 | 0.19 | ||
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 378 | 31.5 | 0.15 | ||
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 2 | 0.17 | 0.71 | ||
| Black crappie | Survey seining | 821 | 273.67 | |||
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 2 | 0.17 | 2.61 | ||
| Largemouth bass | Survey seining | 7 | 2.33 | |||
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 17 | 1.42 | 0.34 | ||
| Pumpkinseed | Survey seining | 1,000 | 333.33 |
Fish per species in the Sugar Lake, Itasca County gill nets
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder lake survey data, survey report. Checked October 2026.
What the survey report says about Sugar Lake, Itasca County
“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 (less than 10 inches) to very large (more than 10 pounds) in size and average 2.2 pounds.”
“The yellow perch are good sized with 28% more than 8 inches long and 10% greater than 9 inches.”
Quoted from the DNR status of the fishery for Sugar Lake (report). Checked October 2026.
Boat landings on Sugar Lake, Itasca County
Boat launches serving Sugar Lake, Itasca County
- Lake Winnibigoshish (W) AccessWinnibigoshish, 2 miles south
- Lake Winnibigoshish, Reese Landing AccessHarry, 3 miles south
- Mississippi River, Big Fish AccessMississippi River, 5 miles west
- Third River Flowage AccessWinnibigoshish, 6 miles north
- Lake Winnibigoshish, Richards Townsite AccessWinnibigoshish, 7 miles south
- Third River AccessThird River, 7 miles north
Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites and Public Fishing Sites layers and LakeFinder, checked October 2026.
How deep Sugar Lake, Itasca County gets
DNR LakeFinder morphology and water clarity, DNR ice-out records (ice-out data), checked October 2026.
Species in the Sugar Lake, Itasca County surveys
LakeFinder builds the Sugar Lake, Itasca County list from survey catches; a fish not netted may still be present.
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder species list and survey catch.
Rules for fishing Sugar Lake, Itasca County
Special regulations posted for Sugar Lake, Itasca County replace the statewide limit for the species named.
| Species | Regulation | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | All from 18-23" must be immediately released. One over 23" allowed in possession. |
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye and sauger | 6 combined total (only 1 walleye over 20" in possession) | May 9, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Northern pike (North-central Zone) | 10 (not more than 2 over 26", all from 22-26" must be immediately released) | May 9, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Northern pike (North-central Zone) | 10 (either 2 northern pike over 26" and none from 22 to 26" or 1 from 22 to 26" and 1 over 26") | Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 except where prohibited |
| Largemouth bass | Catch-and-release only | March 1 – May 22, 2026 |
| Largemouth bass | 6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth bass (when smallmouth season is open) | May 23, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Smallmouth bass | Catch-and-release only | March 1 – May 22, 2026 |
| Smallmouth bass | 6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth bass | May 23 – Sept. 13, 2026 |
| Smallmouth bass | Catch-and-release only | Sept. 14, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Crappie | 10 combined total | Continuous |
| Sunfish | 20 combined total | Continuous |
| Yellow perch | 20 daily, 40 in possession | Continuous |
| Muskellunge | 1 (minimum size 54") | June 6 – Nov. 30, 2026 |
| Channel catfish | 5 (only 1 over 24") | Continuous |
| Rock bass | 30 | Continuous |
| Cisco (tullibee) | 15 (over 7") | Continuous |
| Burbot (eelpout) | 4 | Continuous |
Pike and bass rows follow the North-central Zone, where the map puts Sugar Lake, Itasca County; posted boundaries govern near the zone lines.
2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations and LakeFinder special regulations, checked October 2026. All Minnesota limits.
Nearby lakes against Sugar Lake, Itasca County
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Max depth ft | Accesses | Walleye per gill net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Lake, Itasca County | 1,509 | 22 | 0 | 2.5 | |
| Lake Winnibigoshish | 6 miles east | 56,471 | 69.8 | 6 | 6.06 |
| Lydick Lake | 6 miles southwest | 68 | 20 | 0 | |
| Portage Lake near Bena, Cass County | 7 miles south | 1,539 | 55 | 1 | 14 |
| Upper Sucker Lake | 8 miles southwest | 113 | 25 | 0 | |
| Middle Sucker Lake | 9 miles southwest | 286 | 20 | 0 | 0.5 |
DNR LakeFinder morphology, access layer and latest survey per lake.
In the neighborhood of Sugar Lake, Itasca County
Neighbor lakes around Sugar Lake, Itasca County
- Lake Winnibigoshish6 miles east
- Lydick Lake6 miles southwest
- Portage Lake near Bena, Cass County7 miles south
- Upper Sucker Lake8 miles southwest
- Middle Sucker Lake9 miles southwest
Bait and tackle closest to Sugar Lake, Itasca County
- Winnie Trading Postsporting goods store, Deer River, 14 miles
- New Era Tacklebait and tackle shop, Cass Lake, 17 miles
- Timberline Sports, Incsporting goods store, Blackduck, 22 miles
- Trapper's Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Bemidji, 24 miles
Minnesota towns closest to Sugar Lake, Itasca County
- Bena9 miles
- Squaw Lake14 miles
- Cass Lake14 miles
Sugar Lake, Itasca County, county lines
- Itasca Countyseat: Grand Rapids
Piscifun gear suited to Sugar Lake, Itasca County
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Sugar Lake, Itasca County questions with short answers
What part of Minnesota holds Sugar Lake, Itasca County?
Find it in Itasca County, managed from the Grand Rapids fisheries office, about 9 miles from Bena.
How deep is Sugar Lake, Itasca County?
Roughly 1,509 acres, 22 feet at the deepest.
Which landing do I use on Sugar Lake, Itasca County?
Only unmapped LakeFinder accesses (0 accesses).
Which fish has the DNR netted in Sugar Lake, Itasca County?
Survey records show walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, black crappie, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and rock bass.
How does Sugar Lake, Itasca County compare in DNR nets?
The initial survey of August 23, 1993. walleye ran 2.5 per gill net.
Which DNR rules apply on Sugar Lake, Itasca County?
Walleye: All from 18-23" must be immediately released. One over 23" allowed in possession.
Can out-of-state visitors fish Sugar Lake, Itasca County?
Minnesota residents 16 to 89 need an angling license ($25 for the year); nonresidents 16 and older pay $51.
What is the ice-out date for Sugar Lake, Itasca County?
No clarity or ice records exist for it.
Which bait shop is closest to Sugar Lake, Itasca County?
Winnie Trading Post is about 14 miles from the lake.
Spend a weekend on Sugar Lake, Itasca County
Read the special regulations before you keep fish.