Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 3, 2020
Five Island Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Five Island Lake average 2.14 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 3, 2020. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches. In Itasca County, Minnesota, Five Island Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 13.0 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Species recorded at Five Island Lake
10 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Five Island Lake
No stocking record for Five Island Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Getting on the water
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Five Island Lake average 2.14 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 3, 2020. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Five Island Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2020-08-03 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 17.73 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 15.98 | 0.14 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 2.46 | 0.71 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.44 | 0.33 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 2.14 | 0.71 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Tullibee (Cisco)
Pumpkinseed
From the 2020-08-03 survey
Five Island Lake is a 175-acre lake in northeastern Itasca County located six miles northwest of Togo, MN. A county administered public access is located on the northeast side of the lake on Five Island Lake Road (off County Road 542), with parking for one rig. The access is at the bottom of a steep hill that is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Five Island Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Five IslandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Five Island (0793)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Five IslandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Five Island Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Five Island Lake average 2.14 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 3, 2020. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 10 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Five Island Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Five Island Lake is dated August 3, 2020. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Five Island Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Five Island Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Five Island Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Five Island Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class — a lake can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Five Island Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Five Island Lake
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