Where is McDonald Lake?

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

How deep is McDonald Lake?

McDonald Lake has a maximum depth of 9.8 feet. The lake covers 37 acres.

McDonald Lake

Washington County, Minnesota37 acresView map Directions

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

Max depth

9.8 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

37 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

1.8 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
10 ft max depth

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

McDonald Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 9.8 ft. Surface area: 37 acres.

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McDonald Lake is a 37-acre lake in Washington County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 10 feet.

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

Swimming conditions

No reading

Recreation use not supported

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. McDonald Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether McDonald Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR 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 Minnesota PCA 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

Max depth

9.8 ft

Surface area

37 acres

Shoreline

1.8 mi

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Stays near McDonald Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near McDonald Lake in Washington County, Minnesota — 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.

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Fishing McDonald Lake

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

EPA Impairment Status

McDonald Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN82-0010-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Washington County

Mcdonald Lake5 ft clear · Eutrophic0.1 miView →Cloverdale Lake5 ft clear · Eutrophic0.4 miView →Long Lake2.1 miView →Lily Lake10.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic2.4 miView →Downs Lake1.8 ft clear · Hypereutrophic2.6 miView →Legion Pond7 ft clear2.4 miView →

Frequently asked questions about McDonald Lake

Where is McDonald Lake?: McDonald Lake is a lake in Washington County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of McDonald Lake?: McDonald Lake in Washington County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 9.8 ft. Surface area: 37 acres.
Is McDonald Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. McDonald Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is McDonald Lake?: McDonald Lake has a maximum depth of 9.8 feet. The lake covers 37 acres.