West McDonald

West McDonald Lake is a 573-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County, approximately four miles south of Vergas, MN. West McDonald Lake is within the Otter Tail River Watershed. There are no inlets or outlets connected to West McDonald Lake. The immediate watershed is composed of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 75 feet; however, 32% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. Historical Secchi disk readings have ranged from 13.2 to 17.1 feet. The majority of the shoreline of West McDonald Lake has been extensively developed with homes and cabins. A DNR owned concrete public water access is located off of County Road 85 along the southwest shoreline of the lake. The shoal water substrates consist of sand and gravel. Small stands of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are scattered along the south and east shorelines of the lake. Emergent aquatic plants such as bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms and absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain the excellent water quality and angling that this lake has to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. West McDonald Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish-walleye type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Largemouth Bass, Walleye, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species. A spring electrofishing survey was conducted to analyze the Largemouth Bass population. Survey data indicate that Largemouth Bass abundance, growth, and reproduction occur at moderate levels. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 4.5 to 19.7 inches with an average length of 10.1 inches. Largemouth Bass attain an average length of 12.3 inches at five years of age. 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. West McDonald Lake was designated as infested with zebra mussels in 2019. 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 nearshore fish species in West McDonald Lake was conducted on August 28-29, 2023, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine were completed at fourteen sampling stations. Nearshore sampling captured fourteen species of fish including five species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Mimic Shiner) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Green Sunfish). The nearshore data will be combined with gill net and trap net data from a survey planned for 2025 to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (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. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead and Green Sunfish). 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. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey will be considered when the biological health of West McDonald Lake is assessed during the Otter Tail River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

West McDonald Lake is a 573-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County, approximately four miles south of Vergas, MN. West McDonald Lake is within the Otter Tail River Watershed. There are no inlets or outlets connected to West McDonald Lake. The immediate watershed is composed of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 75 feet; however, 32% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2019 lake survey was 14.1 feet, which indicates excellent water clarity. Previous secchi disk readings have ranged from 13.2 to 17.1 feet. The majority of the shoreline of West McDonald Lake has been extensively developed with homes and cabins. A DNR owned concrete public water access is located off of County Road 85 along the southwest shoreline of the lake. The shoal water substrates consist of sand and gravel. Small stands of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are scattered along the south and east shorelines of the lake. Emergent aquatic plants such as bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain the excellent water quality and angling that this lake has to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. West McDonald Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish-walleye type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Largemouth Bass, Walleye, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species. Catch and length data from recent surveys indicate that a high-density Largemouth Bass population that is dominated by small fish is present. Growth rate estimates indicate that bass growth is slow, most likely due to the high-density population which increases competition for the available forage. Bass ranged in length from 6.8 to 15.4 inches with an average length and weight of 10.9 inches and 0.8 pounds. Bass attain an average length of 11.0 inches at four years of age. The long-term trend is an increase in the average size of Bluegills. Thirty-four percent of the Bluegills were at least 7.0 inches in length and 8% were 8.0 inches or greater in length. Bluegills attain an average length of 6.9 inches at six years of age. Walleyes ranged in length from 11.3 to 21.9 inches with an average length and weight of 17.5 inches and 1.8 pounds. Multiple year classes are present and should provide consistent Walleye angling for several years. Walleyes attain an average length of 15.4 inches at four years of age. 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. West McDonald Lake was designated as infested with zebra mussels in 2019. 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.

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

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

West McDonald has a maximum depth of 62 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in West McDonald is from 2025.

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