Already-relegated Fermanagh put up a brave fight at Ballybofey but Donegal completed an unbeaten Division 1A campaign with a 1-13 to 2-09 comeback win.
An injury-time free from Kevin McMenamin was enough to seal Donegal's sixth league win. Kildare, the Division 1B runners-up, with provide the opposition for Brian McIver’s side in the NFL semi-finals.
Goals from Mark Little (5 minutes) and Eamon Maguire (24) pushed the Ernesiders into a surprise 2-04 to 0-06 interval against a Donegal side that included four debutants.
But points from Adrian Sweeney and Michael Doherty, allied to a Kevin Cassidy goal four minutes from time, gave Donegal the platform for victory.
Fermanagh made a total of six changes to the side that lost to Cork last weekend.
The alterations paid off in the opening half as Charlie Mulgrew's men sought to put the controversy surrounding influential defender Ryan McCluskey's recent withdrawal from the panel behind them.
Martin McGrath gave a timely pass for Little to race through and crash home past Michael Boyle in the Donegal goal. That gave the winless visitors a 1-01 to 0-00 lead.
Barry Owens, who was playing out of position in midfield, was having considerable success in his new role.
Maguire shot Fermanagh into double figures but a brace of points each from Sweeney and Hegarty meant Donegal were far from out of sight.
McIver brought two of his front-liners into the fray for the second period, Kevin Cassidy and Christy Toye, but Fermanagh stood firm and traded the opening eight points of the half with the league semi-finalists, with Thomas McElroy and James Sherry sending over some impressive scores.
Tom Brewster and goal scorer Maguire also raised white flags but Fermanagh then losing their scoring touch.
They could only add a further point from Maguire as Donegal came good in the closing ten minutes.
Sweeney and Doherty took their side’s total to 0-12 before Cassidy’s goal and McMenamin's pointed free, three minutes into injury-time, won it for Donegal.
