South Sugar Lake

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What kind of fish can you catch in South Sugar Lake?

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South Sugar is an 88 acre lake located six miles southwest of Grand Rapids in the Mississippi River headwaters watershed. The lake is connected to Sisseebakwet (Sugar) Lake through a shallow channel navigable by small boats. South Sugar is relatively lightly developed and has clear water. The lake supports a variety of aquatic vegetation which provides good habitat for Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and panfish. A standard survey was conducted in mid-summer 2017 to collect updated information on the fishery.

Largemouth Bass were sampled with spring night electrofishing at a rate of 86/hr of on-time. This is a relatively high catch compared to other lakes in the Grand Rapids area. Size structure was good with bass averaging 15.0 inches and 2.2 pounds. Ages 3-13 were represented in the sample with no dominant year class. Growth was similar to other area lakes, averaging 14.8 inches at age 6.

Black Crappie numbers increased from the two previous surveys, and were higher than average for lakes with similar habitat. Crappie averaged 5.2 inches from gill nets and 7.8 inches from trap nets. The gill-net catch was mostly small fish from the 2016 year class. The trap-net sample had a better size structure with some fish over 10 inches present. Ages 1-9 were represented in the combined sample, but age 1 and 2 crappie made up 63% of the age distribution. Black Crappie growth was average, with crappie averaging 8.9 inches at age 5.

Bluegill numbers were down from the previous survey, and below the typical range for similar lakes. Bluegill size structure has generally been poor in all surveys. Fish in the 2017 trap-net sample ranged from 3.2 to 7.5 inches with an average length of 4.5 inches. Size structure was influenced by a high proportion of young fish. Ages 1-9 were represented in the sample but age 2 fish made up 70% of the age distribution. The average length of 5.8 inches at age 5 was typical for lakes of this type.

The Northern Pike gill-net catch was within the typical range for lakes with similar habitat and slightly higher than the two previous surveys. Size structure was moderate; fish ranged from 17.8 to 32.1 inches with an average length of 23.4 inches. Ages 2-5 and 7 were represented with age 3 the most frequently sampled. The average length of 23.4 inches at age 4 was above average (20.4).

Other species sampled in test nets included Golden Shiner, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Walleye and Yellow Perch.

Overall, South Sugar Lake provides good angling opportunities for Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and panfish. Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fish populations by practicing selective harvest of smaller fish while releasing medium to large fish. Shoreland owners practicing proper shoreline management practices can reduce erosion, help maintain water quality and ensure that fish habitat remains healthy.

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