A cutting wheel arrangement for a suction dredge includes a cutting wheel assembly provided with a plurality of cutting stirrups. A suction pipe is connected to a suction chamber arranged within the cutting wheel arrangement. The suction chamber has a suction opening in the suction area. The cutting wheel assembly includes two coaxially adjacent cutting wheels which are fixedly connected to each other and have lateral cutting openings. The suction chamber is separated by a center wall into two separate chamber portions. One of the suction chamber portions is located in the region of one cutting wheel and the other suction chamber portion is located in the region of the other cutting wheel. Each suction chamber portion is connected to the suction pipe through an opening which can be closed by means of an adjustable flap member in such a way that either the one or the other suction chamber portion is in communication with the suction pipe. The suction chamber is located predominantly in the lower region of the cutting wheels. The cutting wheel arrangement is operated in such a way that the direction of rotation of the cutting wheels moves the cutting stirrups toward and past the suction opening the region of the suction chamber portions.