McDonough Lake Fishing near Eagan, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for McDonough Lake in the Dakota County part of Minnesota. It sits in lake country bush country. Surface area runs to about 18 acres — small enough to read in one session. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. Nearest place of any size is Eagan, 2.2 miles away. For a city, Saint Paul is 11 miles off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on McDonough Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Dakota County, recorded fish include bluegill, common carp, green sunfish and black crappie. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Take McDonough Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 12°F to 72°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. McDonough Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. Someone has mapped a fishing spot half a mile off. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Schultz Lake at 0.2 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on McDonough Lake is worth confirming on the day.