South McDougal Lake

How big is South McDougal Lake?

How deep is South McDougal Lake?

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

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

South McDougal Lake is a 273 acre lake located 11.0 miles west of Isabella, Minnesota within the Superior National Forest. The shoreline around the lake is forested in the upland and bog in the lowland areas. There is a mix of private and public ownership along the lake shoreline. The lake has a maximum depth of 7.0 feet although most of the lake is 5.0 feet or less. The Secchi disk measurement was 2.4 feet in brown bog-stained water. Aquatic vegetation is sparse and grows to depths of 3.0 feet along the mainly gravel and sand shoreline. There are several areas in the lake with submerged boulder pockets as well as many large boulders throughout the lake.

Access to South McDougal Lake is via Coyote Creek (1.6 miles upstream) from North McDougal Lake. Coyote Creek does have some submerged rocks and tree stumps; caution is advised when navigating the creek.

Walleye, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, and Yellow Perch are the primary game fish found in South McDougal Lake. The 2015 Walleye gill net and trap net catches were above average compared to similar lakes in the area but growth of Walleye was slow for the Finland Area. The average weight of the Walleye caught was 0.5 pounds and measured 11.2 inches in length. The largest Walleye sampled was 18.4 inches and 2.1 pounds. Ten year classes were represented in the sample with 43 percent being comprised of ages 1 and 2, indicating good natural reproduction.

Northern Pike gill net catch was near the average for the lake class and higher than the three previous investigations on the lake, although growth of pike was very slow when compared to the average for the Finland Area. Northern Pike averaged 15.8 inches in length with an average weight of 0.9 pounds; largest fish sampled was 26.0 inches and 3.4 pounds.

The Yellow Perch catch was near the average for the area and growth was fast in younger year classes and was considered average with the older year classes. The average weight of Yellow Perch was 0.2 pounds with an average length of 6.9 inches; the largest fish sampled was 9.9 inches and 0.5 pounds. Six year classes were present in the sample with age-2 and age- 3 comprising 70 percent of the sample.

Sixteen Bluegills were caught in trap nets, which were slightly above average for the lake class and higher than previous assessments on South McDougal Lake. The average Bluegill length in 2015 was 8.3 inches and the average weight was 0.54 pounds. The largest individual was 10.6 inches and weighed 1.1 pounds (age-10). Bluegill growth was above average compared to other lakes in the Finland Area.

Two Smallmouth Bass were sampled in South McDougal Lake, both age-11 and weighing over 3 pounds each. Smallmouth Bass are present in other lakes in the McDougal chain and in the Stony River system.

White Suckers were sampled at lower than average numbers with gill nets and at average numbers with trap nets. The average size of White Sucker was 16.0 inches and 1.8 pounds. Golden Shiner, Spottail Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Tadpole Madtom comprise the rest of the non-game fish community in the lake.

What is the average air temp for South McDougal Lake?

Are there any state parks near South McDougal Lake?