Minnesota · Lake County

North McDougal Lake Fishing guide

North McDougal Lake sits in Lake County, Minnesota, and covers 273 acres, reaching 13 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 3.5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 13 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface273 ac

Max depth13 ft

Clarity3.5 ft

Littoral100%

Surveyed2023

How to fish North McDougal Lake through the year

Walleye

Spring: Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 3.5 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
Fall: Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 13-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.

Smallmouth bass

Spring: Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn. In 3.5 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
Early summer: Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
Summer: Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
Fall: Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school. A 13-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.

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	Walleye	Smallmouth bass	Northern pike
2023	26"	19"	41"
2016	27"	18"	45"
2009	28"	17"	36"
2006	21"	17"	30"
2000	19"	—	39"
1996	23"	—	34"

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:

Walleye · Live bait

Slip Bobber + Leech

jumbo or large leech

4–20 ftdead slow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Soft plastics

Curly-Tail Grub on Jig

3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead

3–25 ftslow

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Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics

Ned Rig

2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait

5–25 ftdead slowweedless

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Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics

Tube Jig

3.5" tube jig

5–25 ftslow

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Northern pike · Jigs & bladed

Spinnerbait

3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades

1–12 ftmoderate

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Northern pike · Jigs & bladed

Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)

#2–#4 in-line spinner

1–10 ftmoderate

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Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2023 survey

North McDougal Lake is in Lake County about ten miles west of Isabella and is within the Superior National Forest. There is a Forest Service campground with a concrete log boat ramp and dock that provides public access to the lake, as well as other connected waterbodies known collectively as the McDougal Chain of Lakes. These lakes have dark bog-colored water and are shallow but have diverse habitat that supports a naturally reproducing fish community with several popular species.

The 2023 Walleye catch was within the normal range and near the average from eleven historic surveys of the lake. The size structure of the population remains small with an average length of 12.8" and average weight of 0.74 pounds. Analysis determined ten unique year classes were sampled with nearly half the catch from 2018 and 2020, collectively. Growth was slow compared to other area lakes with Walleye reaching just 13" long at age-5.

Read the full DNR narrative

Bluegill catch has increased in each survey completed on the lake since they were first sampled in 2006. The population has a good size structure with an average length of nearly 8" and fish over 10" long present. Bluegill ranged from two to ten years old with each year class between also sampled. The 2017 year class accounted for 31% of the catch with fish from this year class ranging from 8.1 to 9.5" long. Growth was good compared to other area lakes and compared to statewide averages. Results from this survey confirm that Bluegill have established a naturalized population that provides anglers with quality opportunities that are unique to the area.

Northern Pike catch decreased to 2.17 per gill net in 2023 but was within the normal range and similar to historic surveys of the lake. Pike ranged from 9 to 41" long with an average size of about 21" long and 2.25 pounds. Age analysis determined consistent Northern Pike reproduction and recruitment in recent years. Anglers should continue to have decent opportunities for pike for the foreseeable future.

A small number of Smallmouth Bass were again sampled in 2023, which continued a trend of low catches observed since the species was first sampled in North McDougal Lake in 2006. Anglers may have a hard time targeting the species because of low abundance but might catch some bass incidentally while fishing for other species.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

North McDougal Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on North McDougal 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.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Lake County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

McDougal Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

North McDougal Lake depth map

North McDougal Lake depth contour map, Lake County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 13 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Fourth McDougal Lake · 13 ac · 0.7 mi
Middle McDougal Lake · 104 ac · 0.9 mi
Wadop Lake · 40 ac · 1.4 mi
South McDougal Lake · 287 ac · 1.8 mi
Campers Lake · 48 ac · 2.3 mi
Pike Lake · 77 ac · 2.6 mi
Eikala Lake · 9 ac · 2.8 mi
Stony Lake · 249 ac · 3.3 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is North McDougal Lake?

North McDougal Lake reaches 13 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is North McDougal Lake?

North McDougal Lake covers 273 acres with about 5.5 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in North McDougal Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on North McDougal Lake average 3.5 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in North McDougal Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is North McDougal Lake stocked?

No stocking is on record for North McDougal Lake in the DNR's stocking database.

Does North McDougal Lake have a public access?

Yes. North McDougal Lake has one public access site: McDougal Lake (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in North McDougal Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.

When was North McDougal Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed North McDougal Lake in 2023, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.

Page updated October 28, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for North McDougal Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open North McDougal Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report