West Mcdonald Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota597 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for West Mcdonald Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- zebra mussel
- 62 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
West Mcdonald Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 62 ft. Surface area: 596.86 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 120.27 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at West Mcdonald Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches. DNR survey details →
West Mcdonald Lake is a 597-acre lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 62 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
West Mcdonald Lake covers about 600 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 20, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near West Mcdonald Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What West Mcdonald Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 20
- Deep water62 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether West 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.
Water quality measurements for West Mcdonald Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for West Mcdonald Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.2 ft down. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about West Mcdonald Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
West Mcdonald Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 30 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full West Mcdonald Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 120.27 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at West Mcdonald Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Mcdonald Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-09 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-09 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 33.60 | 4–19 in 2025-06-09 | 0.55 lb |
| Bluegill | 29.17 | 3–9 in 2019-08-19 | 0.18 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 16.86 | ||
| Yellow Bullhead | 10.39 | 7–14 in 2019-08-19 | 0.72 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-06-09 survey
West McDonald Lake is a 573-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County, approximately four miles south of Vergas, MN. West McDonald Lake is within the Otter Tail River Watershed. There are no inlets or outlets connected to West McDonald Lake. The immediate watershed is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for West Mcdonald Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — West McDonaldFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — West McDonaldFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — West McDonaldPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
62 ft
Surface area
597 acres
Shoreline
4.7 mi
Littoral zone
31%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- West McDonald LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near West Mcdonald Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near West Mcdonald Lake in Otter Tail 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.
Top-rated places to stay near West Mcdonald Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing West Mcdonald Lake
- → West Mcdonald Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → West Mcdonald Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → West Mcdonald Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from West Mcdonald Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 20
Earliest Mar 31, 2016 · Latest May 12, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 25
Earliest Nov 4, 1991 · Latest Dec 16, 1999
Most recent ice-out
Apr 30
2018
83 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
West Mcdonald Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mcdonald Lakes (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the Dead River-TR; other-type dam, 7 ft tall and 34 ft long.
- Surface area
- 561 ac
- Normal storage
- 25,593 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 28,287 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.99 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00200 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.69 km)
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about West Mcdonald Lake
Where is West Mcdonald Lake?
- West Mcdonald Lake is a lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of West Mcdonald Lake?
- West Mcdonald Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 62 ft. Surface area: 596.86 acres.
Is West Mcdonald Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of West Mcdonald Lake?
- West Mcdonald Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 30 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is West Mcdonald Lake?
- West Mcdonald Lake has a maximum depth of 62 feet. The lake covers 596.86 acres.
What fish are in West Mcdonald Lake?
- Fish species found in West Mcdonald Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. West Mcdonald Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at West Mcdonald Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 9, 2025 caught 120.27 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at West Mcdonald Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Mcdonald Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does West Mcdonald Lake thaw?
- West Mcdonald Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 20. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 219 days.
Are there boat ramps on West Mcdonald Lake?
- West Mcdonald Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include West McDonald Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at West Mcdonald Lake?
- West 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 Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore West Mcdonald Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA4 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate