McFarland Lake

Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16002700

McFarland Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.

• McFarland Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of September 2, 2026.
• Maximum depth 49 ft; surface area 386 acres, 203 littoral acres, 7.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 15.7 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: burbot, cisco species, lake whitefish, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: August 7, 2023 (targeted survey).
• Cook County, nearest town Hovland; DNR lake number (DOW) 16002700.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/27/1957 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2023

A temperature-dissolved oxygen profile was collected in the deepest basin on McFarland Lake on August 7th, 2023 to evaluate the amount of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish and Cisco, also known as Tullibee. Based on the profile, the top of the thermocline (i.e., the location in the water column with the sharpest transition from warm to cold water) occurred at approximately 13 feet. Dissolved oxygen decreased to below 3.0 mg/L at 26.4 feet, which was below the thermocline, at the time of sampling. The temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to below 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 8.9°C (48.0°F). TDO3 values cooler than 17.2°C for Lake Whitefish or 21.5°C for Cisco indicate that oxythermal conditions are favorable for both species. Dissolved oxygen concentrations below the thermocline indicate that suitable oxythermal habitat for Lake Whitefish and Cisco was available across a range of depths at the time of sampling. Data collected in 1988-2017 indicate suitable oxythermal habitat in most years, with the least favorable conditions recorded in 2017 (17.5°C). When adequate oxythermal habitat is available, Lake Whitefish or Cisco are not squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and therefore do not experience higher levels of stress.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, August 7, 2023.

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