Little McDonald Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

100ft Max
depth

1,311 acres 11 contours Public access

Paddling Index41Modest

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Depth scale

01020406080100

The lake

Survey readout

Little McDonald Lake is mapped to a depth of 100 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 1,311 acres in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 100 ft
Surface area: 1,311 acres
Shoreline: 6.42 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Little McDonald Lake (N) Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 1 more

Additional depth details11 contours

Contour depths: 0–100 ft
Recorded point soundings: 100 ft

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Location

Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 70 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MN DNR Lake Bathymetric Contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

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Map details & sources4 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 46.60925, -95.70691
MN DNR lake ID: 56032800
Vertical exaggeration: 1.4×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.1 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25

41 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Little McDonald Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, notable open-water exposure, some nearby classified roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Mixed	11.1 of 35	44% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (31% forest, 9% wetland; 32% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Mixed	6.9 of 29	mean fetch 2,563 m · 2% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long fetch in some directions
Motor & speed rules	Not modeled	—	Minnesota’s lake-by-lake motor, speed and no-wake rules are mostly county and city ordinances, not map data, so they are not part of the Minnesota index. Check local signage and ordinances before going out.
Public access	Good	15.0 of 18	2 DNR public access sites · boat ramp
Road isolation	Good	7.9 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 6 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,269 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Low — approximately 0% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: Limited — 31% forest and 9% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Minnesota lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public land-cover, access and traffic-count data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights for Minnesota lakes: natural setting 35%, geometric wind exposure 29%, public access 18%, road isolation 18%. Motor, speed and no-wake rules are not modeled for Minnesota, and traffic counts cover state, county and some city roads but not township roads. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Minnesota scores are relative to other Minnesota lakes and are not directly comparable with Paddling Index scores on our sister sites, which use different data sources, some with a watercraft-rules component. Sources: MN DNR lake bathymetry outline, USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MN DNR Water Access Sites and Fishing Piers & Shore Fishing Sites (2026-09) and MnDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (counts 2015–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

11 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).

White Sucker

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

Compiled from Minnesota DNR fishery surveys and Minnesota DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Fishery

surveyed 2016

715Fish sampled

11Species

Gamefish Walleye 93 · Largemouth Bass 83 · Northern Pike 56

Panfish Bluegill 289 · Rock Bass 39 · Black Crappie 36

All survey species11 species

Gamefish

Walleye93 caught · to 27″

Largemouth Bass83 caught · to 17″

Northern Pike56 caught · to 30″

Panfish

Bluegill289 caught · to 8″

Rock Bass39 caught · to 8″

Black Crappie36 caught · to 11″

Yellow Perch18 caught · to 8″

Pumpkinseed7 caught · to 6″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead85 caught · to 14″

Brown Bullhead7 caught · to 15″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker2 caught · to 22″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2017–2025

Fish the Minnesota DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye72,140 stocked · 2017–2025 · 11 plantings

Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Mussels & snails

Zebra MusselConfirmed in this water in 2018 (listed 2013).

How to identify invasive species in Minnesota lakes →

What does the infested waters list mean?

The Minnesota DNR lists a lake, river, pond or wetland as infested when it contains an aquatic invasive species that could spread to other waters, or when it is connected to a water where one is present. Activities such as bait harvest and water use are managed differently on infested waters. Check the current list before moving water, bait or equipment.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. List of Infested Waters, September 9, 2026. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html

Quick answers

Little McDonald Lake — common questions

How deep is Little McDonald Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Little McDonald Lake is 100 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Little McDonald Lake?

Little McDonald Lake covers about 1,311 acres in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Little McDonald Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead. The page lists all 11 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Little McDonald Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 2 public access sites on Little McDonald Lake: Little McDonald Lake (N) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Little McDonald Lake (S) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp).

More lakes in Otter Tail County