Middle McDougal Lake

How big is Middle McDougal Lake?

How deep is Middle McDougal Lake?

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

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

Middle McDougal Lake is in Lake County about nine miles west of Isabella and is within the Superior National Forest. Most of the lake is less than five feet deep and supports a variety of submerged, floating leaved, and emergent vegetation. The lake is connected to Coyote Creek and other nearby waterbodies known collectively as the McDougal Chain of Lakes. There is a public access with concrete log ramp at the Forest Service campground located on North McDougal Lake that provides access to the entire chain.

Bluegill have established a naturally reproducing population with good size and age structure since first being sampled in the lake in 2000. Results from this survey confirm that year classes have been produced regularly over the past decade. Bluegill sampled in 2023 ranged from 2 to 10 years old and from 3 to 10" long, with 39% greater than 8" long. Growth is good compared to other area lakes with fish reaching about 7.5" at age-5.

The Northern Pike catch had a similar size structure as previous surveys of the lake with few fish greater than 24" long sampled. The small number of Walleye sampled was also similar to previous surveys and the average length was 16.4" and average weight was 1.8 pounds.

White Sucker and Yellow Perch were also sampled during the survey. Some perch may grow to a size of interest to anglers, but they are primarily a forage species.

What is the average air temp for Middle McDougal Lake?

Are there any state parks near Middle McDougal Lake?