Island Lake
Island Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 76 ft. Surface area: 232.4 acres.
- Clarity
- 15.1 ft
- Typical in August
- 60°F
- Max depth
- 76 ft
- Area
- 232 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Island Lake is a 232-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 76 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Island Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down. Phosphorus level: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Island Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Island Lake in Crow Wing 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.
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Water Temperature
Island Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 69°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 146 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Island Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 76 ft |
| Surface Area | 232 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 37% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- Big Trout LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Island Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-14 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 30.45 | — |
| CNM | 14.57 | — |
| Bluegill | 14.54 | 0.14 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 11.13 | 0.32 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 8.10 | 0.57 lb |
| BCS | 5.59 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Green Sunfish
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2024-08-14 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles were collected in the deepest basin in Island-Loon Lake on August 14, 2024, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco are also…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Island Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — IslandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.029 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.53 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.17 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Island Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0311-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.01 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #18 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Island Lake
What is the water quality grade for Island Lake?
- Island Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 76 ft. Surface area: 232.4 acres.
Is Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Island Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Island Lake?
- Island Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in August, from 146 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Island Lake?
- Island Lake has a maximum depth of 76 feet. The lake covers 232.4 acres.
What fish are in Island Lake?
- Fish species found in Island Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Island Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Island Lake?
- Island Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Trout Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Island Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
171 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
MNPCA171 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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