Farm Island Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota2,005 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Farm Island Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 56 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Farm Island Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 56 ft. Surface area: 2005.19 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 11, 2025 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at Farm Island Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–20 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Farm Island Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Farm Island Lake is a 2,005-acre mesotrophic lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 56 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Aitkin County, Farm Island Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Farm Island Lake covers about 2,000 acres in Aitkin County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 19, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Farm Island Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Farm Island Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 19
- Deep water56 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water2,005 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Farm Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Farm Island Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Farm Island Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Farm Island Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.3 ft. Phosphorus 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Farm Island Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Farm Island Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Apr (about 46°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (46°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 43 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Farm Island Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 11, 2025 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at Farm Island Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–20 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Farm Island Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
34 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-07 (Targeted Survey).
34 surveys on file · most recent 2025-10-07 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 33.32 | 1–2 in 2000-07-31 | |
| Walleye | 19.13 | 12–20 in 2025-10-07 | 1.34 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.34 | 5–9 in 2025-08-11 | 0.13 lb |
| Bluegill | 11.08 | 3–8 in 2025-08-11 | 0.18 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 10.75 | 1–2 in 2000-07-31 |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluntnose Minnow
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2025-10-07 survey
Fall night electrofishing (EW) is conducted annually to assess Walleye recruitment by monitoring the abundance of young-of-the-year (YOY) and yearling (age-1) Walleye. Previous fry stocking assessments have occurred on Farm Island Lake (2010-2016) via fall night electrofishing. In these assessments, it was concluded…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Farm Island Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Farm IslandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Farm Island (0013)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Farm IslandFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Farm IslandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
56 ft
Surface area
2,005 acres
Shoreline
14.6 mi
Littoral zone
44%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
18 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,237 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Farm Island NorthPublic
- Farm Island LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Farm Island Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Farm Island Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Farm Island Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Farm Island Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Farm Island Lake
- → Farm Island Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Farm Island Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Farm Island Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Farm Island Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 19
Earliest Mar 14, 2024 · Latest May 13, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 17, 2014 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 12
2025
105 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Farm Island Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN01-0159-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Aitkin County
Frequently asked questions about Farm Island Lake
Where is Farm Island Lake?
- Farm Island Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Farm Island Lake?
- Farm Island Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 56 ft. Surface area: 2005.19 acres.
Is Farm Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Farm Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Farm Island Lake?
- Farm Island Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October, from 43 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Farm Island Lake?
- Farm Island Lake has a maximum depth of 56 feet. The lake covers 2005.19 acres.
What fish are in Farm Island Lake?
- Fish species found in Farm Island Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Farm Island Lake is located in Aitkin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Farm Island Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 11, 2025 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at Farm Island Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–20 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Farm Island Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Farm Island Lake thaw?
- Farm Island Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 19. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Are there boat ramps on Farm Island Lake?
- Farm Island Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Farm Island North, Farm Island Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Farm Island Lake?
- Farm Island Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Farm Island Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
77 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA77 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate