McDonald Lake near Lake Elmo: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  The Washington County end of Minnesota holds McDonald Lake. The surface lies 886 feet up. With some 38 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 2.1 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Ground here is low by Minnesota standards. Nearest place of any size is Lake Elmo, 2.3 miles away. Saint Paul sits 13 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on McDonald Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Washington County list bluegill, largemouth bass, brown trout and northern pike. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On McDonald Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 72°F, the coldest about 12°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on McDonald Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. There are toilets mapped about 0.9 miles away. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Cloverdale Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Where McDonald Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.