4 miles north of Dent
Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 46.6104° N, 95.7053° W
Directions to Little McDonald Lake (S) Public Water Access SiteApple Maps
Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access sites (2 listed; this is the first).
Updated 15 Oct 2026, 5:15 pm EDT.
National Weather Service; National Interagency Fire Center; U.S. EPA CyAN satellite; Minnesota DNR. Weather, warnings, fires and satellite refresh when you open the page (checked at most hourly).
Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.
2 public access sites on Little McDonald Lake.
Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 11 stockings of Little McDonald Lake in 7 of the years 2017 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 100 walleye yearlings. Species stocked: walleye.
Latest: 2025: 14 walleye adults.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries (LakeFinder stocking reports), fetched 15 Oct 2026. How we measure
Measured from Minnesota DNR contours. How we measure
Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Little McDonald Lake was in August 2016: 12 gill nets and 9 trap nets caught 11 species. This survey is 10 years old. The DNR also ran a targeted survey in August 2020; this section uses the latest standard survey.
Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 2000 13 · 2004 8.1 · 2008 6.9 · 2012 15 · 2016 7.3
Bluegill per trap net, standard surveys: 2000 38 · 2004 42 · 2008 28 · 2012 27 · 2016 17
Walleye: 92 measured, 8 to 27 in, half 19 in or longer; average 2.6 lb, above normal (normal 1.2–2.1 lb).
Northern pike: 56 measured, 11 to 30 in, half 20 in or longer; average 1.9 lb, normal (normal 1.6–2.8 lb).
Largemouth bass: 83 measured, 5 to 17 in, half 7 in or longer; average 0.63 lb, normal (normal 0.5–1.2 lb).
Black crappie: 36 measured, 4 to 11 in, half 9 in or longer; average 0.54 lb, normal (normal 0.3–0.6 lb).
Bluegill: 290 measured, 3 to 8 in, half 6 in or longer; average 0.18 lb, normal (normal 0.1–0.2 lb).
Also caught: brown bullhead, white sucker, yellow bullhead.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 22 Aug 2016, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure
Measured water clarity averages about 22 ft: the Secchi depth across 4 readings, 2008–2020.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.
Little McDonald Lake is 109 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 1,316 acres.
Yes. 2 public access sites are listed: Little McDonald Lake (S) Public Water Access Site; Little McDonald Lake (N) Public Water Access Site.
Yes. Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 11 stockings of it in 7 of the years 2017 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 100 walleye yearlings.
Minnesota DNR’s August 2016 standard survey caught 11 species, most often bluegill, walleye, largemouth bass and northern pike.
About 70% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.