Where is McDonald Lake?

McDonald Lake is a lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.

Are there boat ramps on McDonald Lake?

McDonald Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Dixner Road. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at McDonald Lake?

McDonald Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

McDonald Lake

Schoolcraft County, Michigan1,442 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from EGLE for this lake.

Area

1,442 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

0.9 mi

Measured length

Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

McDonald Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Surface area: 1441.9 acres.

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Water clarity at McDonald Lake

Moderate clarity. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, McDonald Lake averaged 1.89 m (6 ft) of visibility down into the water, so visibility is middling in midsummer, which is ordinary for a productive inland lake. This lake sits close to the line between clarity classes, so treat the label as approximate and the depth reading as the real number.

Nobody has taken a water sample here that we can find. Michigan's environmental agency measures clarity on lakes like this one from satellite images instead, which is why this page reports how clear the water is and no phosphorus or algae readings.

Clear is not the same as clean. A lake can be easy to see through and still carry high nutrient levels, and a naturally tea-stained lake can be perfectly healthy. The nutrient and algae readings on other lakes come from phosphorus and chlorophyll-a measured in a laboratory, and clarity alone cannot stand in for them.

The same satellite images put summer algae here at roughly 8.61 micrograms per litre. Estimating algae from orbit is far less exact than measuring clarity, so that figure is worth knowing and is not part of any rating.

McDonald Lake is a 1,442-acre lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What McDonald Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Big water1,442 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether McDonald Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for McDonald Lake

These are the measurements EGLE publishes for McDonald Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about McDonald Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Average depth

Not documented

Surface area

1,442 acres

Shoreline

0.9 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by EGLE

The published depth figures for McDonald Lake contradict each other, so no depth is shown.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Dixner RoadPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near McDonald Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near McDonald Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near McDonald Lake

Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

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Follow McDonald Lake’s readings

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Fishing McDonald Lake

→ McDonald Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Nearby Lakes in Schoolcraft County

Clear Lake1.8 miView →Shuberts Lake2.4 miView →Gulliver Lake2.5 miView →Millaquaka Lake2.8 miView →Minnow Lake4.6 miView →Shoepac Lake4.6 miView →

Frequently asked questions about McDonald Lake

Where is McDonald Lake?: McDonald Lake is a lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of McDonald Lake?: McDonald Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Surface area: 1441.9 acres.
Is McDonald Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is McDonald Lake?: The published depth figures for McDonald Lake contradict each other, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 1441.9 acres.
Are there boat ramps on McDonald Lake?: McDonald Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Dixner Road. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at McDonald Lake?: McDonald Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.