Big Mcdonald Lake vs Pelican Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Big Mcdonald Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Pelican Lake. Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
Big Mcdonald Lake and Pelican Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Big Mcdonald Lake versus Pelican Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Big Mcdonald Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 17.4 ft down.
Pelican Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Big Mcdonald Lake | Pelican Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 17.4 ft Better | 16.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L Better | 15 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.2 µg/L | 3 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 46 ft | 55 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 992 acres | 3,962 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 15 | 20 Better |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Big Mcdonald Lake and Pelican Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Big Mcdonald Lake: 17.4 ft, Pelican Lake: 16.4 ft) and what you want from the lake. Big Mcdonald Lake has fewer fish species than Pelican Lake.
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Where to stay near Big Mcdonald Lake and Pelican Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Big Mcdonald Lake and Pelican Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Big Mcdonald Lake and Pelican Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.