North McDougal Lake

How big is North McDougal Lake?

How deep is North McDougal Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in North McDougal Lake?

Are there boat launches on North McDougal Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near North McDougal Lake?

North McDougal Lake is located in Lake County approximately 9 miles west of Isabella. It has a surface area of 273 acres and a maximum depth of 13 feet. There is a concrete boat ramp in the northeast corner of the lake with a dock and an outhouse. This is also the access to Fourth McDougal, Middle McDougal, and South McDougal lakes; these lakes can be accessed from North McDougal by connecting channels. The lake shore is in a combination of private and federal ownership. There are cabins scattered along the south and west shores, there is a youth camp on the west shore, and there is a 26 site forest service fee campground on the north shore adjacent to the access. The lake has dark bog stained water and like most lakes in the area and boulders are present; caution is advised when boating on the McDougal chain.

North McDougal Lake has two inlets and one outlet. The Stony River enters North McDougal Lake from the east. Coyote Creek flows into the southwest corner of North McDougal Lake from South McDougal Lake, this forms the channel connecting North McDougal Lake to South McDougal Lake, small side channels off of this connect to Fourth McDougal Lake and Middle McDougal Lake. The Stony River then flows out the west side of the lake. There is a concrete dam located on the lake outlet; the dam is on private property and there is no portage trail. The lake bed in the shallow areas of North McDougal Lake is dominated by rubble, gravel, and sand with some boulder, muck, and detritus also present. Aquatic plants grew to a maximum depth of 7 feet and a total of 25 types of aquatic and riparian plants were observed.

Walleye is the primary management species on North McDougal Lake. The population is maintained through natural reproduction. Walleye catch in the 2016 survey was near average relative to similar lakes. The average length of Walleye sampled was 12.2 inches, average weight was 1.3 pounds, with fish up to 27.3 inches long sampled. A total of nine year classes not including young of the year were sampled with the 2013 year class making up 26 percent of the catch and the oldest fish being age-12. Overall, growth was average relative to other area lakes.

Northern Pike is a secondary managed species. Gillnet catch was near average relative to similar lakes. The average length of Northern Pike sampled in gillnets was 19.0 inches with the largest fish having a total length of 45.1 inches; only three percent of the catch was longer than 30 inches. The average weight of Northern Pike sampled in gillnets was 1.8 pounds which is average compared to similar lakes. A total of nine year classes were sampled with the 2012 year class making up 30 percent of the catch. Growth was below average when compared to other area lakes.

Bluegill is the other secondary managed species on North McDougal Lake. Bluegill catch was well above average when compared to similar lakes. The average length of Bluegill was 8.0 inches with the longest fish having a total length of 10.8 inches; 66 percent of the catch was at least eight inches long. The average weight of Bluegill was 0.5 pounds, also well above average when compared to similar lakes. Six year classes of Bluegill were sampled with the 2012 year class making up 51 percent of the catch, the oldest fish were age-6. Bluegill growth was above average relative to other area lakes.

Smallmouth Bass were sampled in small numbers. A total of eleven Smallmouth Bass were sampled in 2016. The largest of these fish was 18.9 inches long. Five of these fish were young of the year. Five year classes were represented in the sample with the 2012 year class making up 33 percent of the catch. Growth is fast relative to other area lakes.

Yellow Perch catch was average relative to similar lakes. The average length of Yellow Perch sampled in was 6.9 inches with fish up to 10.8 inches long sampled. The average weight of Yellow Perch sampled in gillnets was 0.2 pounds. Seven year classes of Yellow Perch were sampled with the 2014 year class making up 28 percent of the catch. Growth was average relative to other area lakes.

In addition to these gamefish species, White Sucker were sampled in numbers average relative to similar lakes and one Rock Bass was sampled. Johnny Darter, Golden Shiner, Pumpkinseed, Spottail Shiner, Tadpole Madtom, and Trout Perch were also sampled in quarter inch mesh trap nets.

North McDougal Lake offers good access and a diverse fishery. The fisheries for Walleye and Bluegill should be good for the foreseeable future, but there are also options for catching Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, and Yellow Perch. The connections to Fourth McDougal, Middle McDougal, and South McDougal mean that anglers have plenty of area to fish within reach of the access on North McDougal Lake.

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Are there any state parks near North McDougal Lake?