McDougal Lake fishing: Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass

Target species: Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, White Sucker, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Yellow Perch
Boat: 1 ramp or launch on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at McDougal Lake Public Water Access Site, 1 lane.

The lake

McDougal Lake covers 259 acres in Minnesota, across Lake County. It is a lake: 90.4% of it is 9 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 10 feet (3 m). Our records hold 8 species for this water.

7 target fish, led by Northern Pike

  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
  • White Sucker — Feeding water: 50–70°F.
  • Bluegill — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
  • Rock Bass — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Yellow Perch — Feeding water: 45–75°F.

Also recorded here: Pumpkinseed.

McDougal Lake - Northern Minnesota - Superior National Forest (51409827364).jpg
Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 10 ft (3 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 90.4% of the water is 9 feet or shallower. We hold 38 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–2 ft: 7.9% of the water
  • 2–3 ft: 9.1% of the water
  • 3–4 ft: 12.8% of the water
  • 4–5 ft: 16.1% of the water
  • 5–6 ft: 14.6% of the water
  • 6–7 ft: 10.2% of the water
  • 7–8 ft: 8.4% of the water
  • 8–9 ft: 11.3% of the water
  • 9–10 ft: 9.7% of the water

1 ramp or launch on this water

On this water we hold 1 trailer ramp.

  • McDougal Lake Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms. U.S. Forest Service. website fs.usda.gov/recarea/superior/recreation/recarea/?recid=36937 · hours: Open 24 hours/day

The place listed has no fee or opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 71°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 7.4. These readings span 2019–2024.

What is hard here

With 90.4% of the water 9 feet or less, low level turns the flats into hazards. Only 1 public ramp is on file, so the launch decides where you fish.

Where this data comes from

  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: reported depths: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.