Middle Mcdougal Lake
Lake County, Minnesota104 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Middle Mcdougal Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 7 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Middle Mcdougal Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 103.96 acres.
Middle Mcdougal Lake is a 104-acre mesotrophic lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including bluegill, hybrid sunfish, and northern pike. Public access is available. Compared to the 34 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Middle Mcdougal Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Middle Mcdougal Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing8 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Middle Mcdougal Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Middle Mcdougal 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.
Water quality measurements for Middle Mcdougal Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Middle Mcdougal Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Phosphorus 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.4 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Middle Mcdougal Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Middle Mcdougal Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in Jun (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 10 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Middle Mcdougal Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
7 ft
Surface area
104 acres
Shoreline
3 mi
Littoral zone
99%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,729 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Middle Mcdougal Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Middle Mcdougal Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Middle Mcdougal Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0658-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Middle Mcdougal Lake
Where is Middle Mcdougal Lake?
- Middle Mcdougal Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Middle Mcdougal Lake?
- Middle Mcdougal Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 103.96 acres.
Is Middle Mcdougal Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Middle Mcdougal Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Middle Mcdougal Lake?
- Middle Mcdougal Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Middle Mcdougal Lake?
- Middle Mcdougal Lake has a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 103.96 acres.
What fish are in Middle Mcdougal Lake?
- Fish species found in Middle Mcdougal Lake include bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Middle Mcdougal Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
Can I fish at Middle Mcdougal Lake?
- Public access to Middle Mcdougal Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA20 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder