Little Sugar Bush Lake in Becker County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Little Sugar Bush Lake is one of the Becker County waters in Minnesota. Everything around it is lake country bush. Surface area is around 212 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Around 3.2 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. On our Becker County list it sits near the top for size. 13 miles away sits Detroit Lakes, the nearest town. Frazee is 19 miles away, with Mahnomen at 23 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Little Sugar Bush Lake

  The basin has been measured to about 33 feet. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Becker County names bluegill, largemouth bass and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Little Sugar Bush Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 68°F and January about 4°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about mid November in an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Little Sugar Bush Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Boat access is recorded roughly half a mile away. A pier or jetty stands 160 yards away, which helps on a crowded bank. Part of this sits inside or beside Bullhead Lake AMA, so read the notices. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. For a change of water, Mulgri Lake is 0.6 miles distant.