McDonald Lake

Gogebic County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

6ft Max
depth

579 acres 2 contours Public access 40% weedy

Paddling Index71GoodMedium confidenceaway from major roads · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

046

The lake

Survey readout

McDonald Lake is mapped to a depth of 6 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 579 acres in Gogebic County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 6 ft
Mean depth: 2.6 ft · estimated
Surface area: 579 acres
Estimated volume: 1,501 acre-ft · 489M gal
Shoreline: 5.9 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 40% of surface · NDVI estimate
Trophic state: Oligotrophic · measured 2003 · details
Public access: Boat Launch
Borders: McDonald Lake County Park · Gogebic County · 19% of shoreline

Additional depth details2 contours

Contour depths: 0–6 ft
Recorded point soundings: 6 ft

100% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Gogebic County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 135 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MI DNR inland lake contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches.

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Map details & sources5 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 46.38079, -90.01074
MI DNR lake ID: L37949
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.7 MB

Lake productivity & trophic state

Measured 2003

Classification: Oligotrophic. Lower nutrient and algae levels, often clearer water and lower biological productivity. Based on measurements recorded in 2003 (chlorophyll-a 2.0 µg/L).

Trophic state describes how biologically productive a lake is, based on indicators such as nutrients, algae and water clarity. It is not a swimming-safety or overall water-quality rating.

What do the categories mean?

Oligotrophic · this lake≤ 2 µg/L · lower nutrient and algae levels, often clearer water and lower biological productivity.
Mesotrophic2–7 µg/L · moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity.
Eutrophic7–30 µg/L · higher nutrient levels and biological productivity, often with more algae or aquatic plant growth.
Hypereutrophic> 30 µg/L · very high nutrient levels and biological productivity, with a greater potential for heavy algae growth and low water clarity.

Bands are summer (June–August) mean chlorophyll-a, the green pigment in algae, at the EPA 2012 National Lakes Assessment thresholds. Trophic condition can change over time and by measurement method. Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; chlorophyll-a measurements from LAGOS-US LIMNO.

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-23

71 / 100GoodData confidence: Medium

McDonald Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, moderate open-water exposure, little nearby major-road exposure. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Excellent	35.3 of 35	97% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (43% forest, 54% wetland; 1% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	12.6 of 29	mean fetch 1,600 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch
Watercraft controls	None identified	8.8 of 18	No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public access	Not listed	—	No DNR-listed access site. Township, county and road-end launches are not in this source, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized.
Road isolation	Excellent	14.8 of 18	relatively isolated from major roads · 2 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 90 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: High — approximately 40% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: High — 43% forest and 54% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public environmental, access, roadway and watercraft-control data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights: natural setting 30%, geometric wind exposure 25%, watercraft controls 15%, public access 15%, road isolation 15%; observed motorboat activity is weighted 0% because no defensible lake-level measurement exists. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Sources: MI DNR bathymetric survey outline (0 ft isobath), USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MI DNR Watercraft Control Areas (2026-08) and MDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Non-native species records

No non-native species recorded in the available dataset. This does not confirm that no non-native species are present.

Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; underlying nonindigenous species records from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

Bear's Nine Pines Resort≈15 miN9426 State jwu M-64, Marenisco · Google · Apple

Dealers licensed by the Michigan DNR to sell live bait; listing is not an endorsement. Distances are straight-line, not driving — and call ahead: hours and stock change. Source: Michigan DNR retail bait dealer data.

Quick answers

McDonald Lake — common questions

How deep is McDonald Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of McDonald Lake is 6 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is McDonald Lake?

McDonald Lake covers about 579 acres in Gogebic County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of McDonald Lake?

The estimated mean depth of McDonald Lake is 2.6 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to McDonald Lake?

Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on McDonald Lake, including McDonald Lake.