Little McDonald

Little McDonald Lake is a 1,174-acre mestrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately six miles west of Perham, MN. The immediate watershed is composed of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 109 feet; however, 35% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading was 19.8 feet, indicating excellent water clarity. Secchi disk readings in previous surveys ranged from 10.0 to 30.5 feet. The entire shoreline of the lake has been developed. Homes and cottages compose the majority of the development. DNR owned public water accesses are located along the north and south shorelines. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Areas of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are prevalent in the western portion of the lake. Emergent plants are important because they provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish species such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They are also important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological importance, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. A special gillnetting survey was conducted to analyze the Walleye and Northern Pike populations. Northern Pike abundance has remained stable over the recent series of surveys. Age data indicate that Northern Pike reproduction is consistently good. Northern Pike ranged in length from 13.8 to 31.8 inches with an average length and weight of 21.3 inches and 2.2 pounds. Northern Pike attain an average length of 19.8 inches at four years of age. Walleye abundance has historically been stable but the Walleye numbers in the 2020 survey were the lowest recorded. Walleyes ranged in length from 7.5 to 28.4 inches with an average length and weight of 20.7 inches and 3.5 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 14.8 inches at four years of age. An experimental regulation designed to maintain or improve the Walleye size structure in Little McDonald Lake was implemented in 1998 and was in effect through 2010. The regulation was an 18.0 to 26.0 inch protected slot limit with one Walleye over 26.0 inches allowed in possession. The regulation was reviewed and a public input meeting was held in the fall of 2010. In 2011, after overwhelming public support, the experimental regulation was amended and made into a special regulation and is now permanent. The amended regulation is a 17.0 to 26.0 inch protected slot limit with one Walleye over 26.0 inches allowed in possession. Anglers can maintain the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large size fish while allowing the harvest of the more abundant smaller fish for table fare. Releasing the medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future. Little McDonald Lake was listed as infested with zebra mussels in 2013. Aquatic invasive species are threatening Minnesota waters. Aquatic invasive species can potentially harm water quality, water recreation, aquatic habitat, native species, and fish populations. Anglers can help prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species by following watercraft transportation laws.

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff starting August 16, 2017. Eighteen sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where possible. One site was not sampled at all due to no shore existing at that location. Backpack electrofishing was completed at the other 17 sites with one site sampled from the boat. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample 11 sites, a 15-foot seine was used at five sites, and soft sediments with abundant vegetation prevented the use of seines at one sampling site. Nearshore sampling captured 15 native species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner and Rock Bass) and no species that are tolerant of disturbance. Data from this targeted nearshore survey is combined with trap net and gill net data from an August 2016 standard survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based Index of Biological Integrity (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. The FIBI score for Little McDonald Lake from this survey is below an impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Otter Tail River Watershed assessment of surface waters process completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Little McDonald Lake is a 1,174-acre mestrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately six miles west of Perham, MN. The immediate watershed is composed of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 109 feet; however, 35% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading was 19.2 feet, indicating excellent water clarity. Secchi disk readings in previous surveys ranged from 10.0 to 30.5 feet. The entire shoreline of the lake has been extensively developed. Homes and cottages compose the majority of the development. DNR owned public water accesses are located along the north and south shorelines. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Areas of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are prevalent in the western portion of the lake. Emergent plants are important because they provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish species such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They are also important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological importance, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. Little McDonald Lake is a popular angling lake. Species most sought after include Walleye, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill. Data from recent lake surveys indicate that these species are abundant and have good size distributions as well. Northern Pike abundance has remained stable over the recent series of surveys. Age data indicate that Northern Pike reproduction is consistently good. Northern Pike ranged in length from 11.6 to 30.6 inches with an average length and weight of 20.0 inches and 1.9 pounds. Northern Pike attain an average length of 21.9 inches at four years of age. Bluegill size structure is good as 32% of the sample was 7.0 inches or greater in length. Age data indicate that Bluegill reproduction is also consistently good. Bluegills attain an average length of 7.5 inches at six years of age. The long-term trend has been an increase in Black Crappie abundance. The 2012 year class is strong and should provide good crappie angling for several years. Forty-seven percent of the Black Crappie sample was 10.0 inches or greater in length. Crappies attain an average length of 8.8 inches at four years of age. Walleye is a primary management specie for this lake. Walleyes ranged in length from 8.0 to 28.0 inches with an average length and weight of 18.9 inches and 2.6 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 15.6 inches at four years of age. An experimental regulation designed to maintain or improve the Walleye size structure in Little McDonald Lake was implemented in 1998 and was in effect through 2010. The regulation was an 18.0 to 26.0 inch protected slot limit with one Walleye over 26.0 inches allowed in possession. The regulation was reviewed and a public input meeting was held in the fall of 2010. In 2011, after overwhelming public support, the experimental regulation was amended and made into a special regulation and is now permanent. The amended regulation is a 17.0 to 26.0 inch protected slot limit with one Walleye over 26.0 inches allowed in possession. Anglers can maintain the quality of angling by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large-size fish while allowing the harvest of more abundant smaller fish for table fare. Releasing the medium and large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Black Crappie, Walleye, Hybrid Sunfish, Rock Bass, and Bluegill in Little McDonald. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Little McDonald. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Little McDonald has a maximum depth of 109 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Little McDonald is from 2020.

Yes — Little McDonald has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.