Minnesota · Becker County
Little Sugar Bush Lake Fishing guide
Little Sugar Bush Lake sits in Becker County, Minnesota, and covers 221 acres, reaching 29 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 10.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Good numbers4per gill net19"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 26 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 26 fish
2023Lengths measured · 31 fish
2018Lengths measured · 18 fish
2013Lengths measured · 14 fish
2011Largemouth bassPresent0.8per gill net15"Typical16"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 12 fish
2023Lengths measured · 4 fish
2018Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2013Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 2 fish
2004Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeOne of the best around27.5per gill net20"Typical38"Biggest
Lengths measured · 177 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 177 fish
2023Lengths measured · 119 fish
2018Lengths measured · 140 fish
2013Lengths measured · 93 fish
2011BluegillElite fishery80.2per trap net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 794 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 794 fish
2023Lengths measured · 954 fish
2018Lengths measured · 562 fish
2013Lengths measured · 38 fish
2011CrappieJust a few2per trap net9"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 28 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 28 fish
2023Lengths measured · 30 fish
2018Lengths measured · 36 fish
2013Lengths measured · 5 fish
2011Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchOne of the best around40.8per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 247 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 247 fish
2023Lengths measured · 86 fish
2018Lengths measured · 155 fish
2013Lengths measured · 117 fish
2011Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Little Sugar Bush Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 10.4 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 10.4 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 38" | 26" | 16" |
| 2018 | 34" | 26" | 18" |
| 2013 | 37" | 29" | 10" |
| 2011 | 28" | 25" | — |
| 2004 | 28" | 26" | 13" |
| 1999 | 31" | 28" | 18" |
| 1997 | 31" | 27" | 12" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 560 fingerlings · 460 yearlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 3,135 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 1,488 yearlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 2,673 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 2,549 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Little Sugar Bush Lake is a 221-acre lake located in central Becker County near the community of Richwood. The lake is located within the White Earth Indian Reservation. The lake is moderately developed and surrounded by hardwood forest, marsh, and agricultural land. Submerged vegetation is common throughout near shore areas. There are several stands of bulrush, water lilies, and cattail located in various areas around the lake. There is an intermittent inlet and outlet located on the 3.6 miles of moderately developed shoreline. Little Sugar Bush Lake has a special regulation for sunfish limiting anglers to keeping five fish per day. A standard fisheries survey was conducted in June 2023 to evaluate the fish population in Little Sugar Bush Lake.
Anglers will find a high number of Northern Pike in Little Sugar Bush Lake, however, most of these fish will be on the small side. The average size of the pike sampled was 21.5 inches, but one 38-inch fish was measured. Walleye numbers were slightly below average for the lake, but size was good. Every Walleye sampled in 2023 was over 15 inches and 38% were over 20 inches. Anglers can expect to find good numbers of Bluegills over eight inches. About 32% of the Bluegills sampled in 2023 were over eight inches long and Bluegills over ten inches were measured. Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass were captured in low numbers in the nets, which is often the case with this sampling gear. Black Crappie were measured up to 11 inches long and Largemouth Bass were up to 16.5 inches long. Other fish species observed were Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Little Sugar Bush Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Little Sugar Bush Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Little Sugar Bush Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Little Sugar Bush Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Buffalo Lake · 418 ac · 2.5 mi
- Big Sugar Bush Lake · 522 ac · 3 mi
- Rice Lake · 231 ac · 3.8 mi
- Rock Lake · 1,196 ac · 5.5 mi
- Strawberry Lake · 1,498 ac · 5.9 mi
- Winter Lake · 117 ac · 6.2 mi
- Net Lake · 231 ac · 6.9 mi
- North Tamarack Lake · 1,442 ac · 7.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Little Sugar Bush Lake?
Little Sugar Bush Lake reaches 29 ft at its deepest point; about 45% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Little Sugar Bush Lake?
Little Sugar Bush Lake covers 221 acres with about 3.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Little Sugar Bush Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Little Sugar Bush Lake average 10.4 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Little Sugar Bush Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Little Sugar Bush Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Little Sugar Bush Lake have a public access?
Yes. Little Sugar Bush Lake has one public access site: Little Sugar Bush Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Little Sugar Bush Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 38"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Little Sugar Bush Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Little Sugar Bush Lake in 2023, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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