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LakeQuality

Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 25, 2020

Species recorded at Island Lake

12 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 Island Lake

Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.

Getting on the water

1 public boat landing is recorded on Island Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.

Survey results in full

DNR fisheries survey

Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 25, 2020 caught 12.10 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Island Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–15 inches.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Island Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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

9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2020-08-25 (Targeted Survey).

9 surveys on file · most recent 2020-08-25 (Targeted Survey)

SpeciesCatch rate (CPUE)SizeAvg weight
Bluegill
21.44
3–7 in
2020-08-03
0.14 lb
Golden Shiner
8.29
Largemouth Bass
5.08
5–15 in
2020-08-03
1.01 lb
Yellow Bullhead
4.80
8–13 in
2020-08-03
0.68 lb
Black Crappie
4.80
3–10 in
2020-08-03
0.22 lb

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.

Bluegill

83 fish · 3–7 in · 2020-08-03
2714034567

Largemouth Bass

6 fish · 5–15 in · 2020-08-03
1056789101112131415

Yellow Bullhead

20 fish · 8–13 in · 2020-08-03
6308910111213

Black Crappie

82 fish · 3–10 in · 2020-08-03
25130trophy 10″345678910

From the 2020-08-25 survey

Island Lake is a 240 acre lake, with a maximum depth of 37', located 4 miles southeast of Emily in Crow Wing County. Island is located in the Pine River watershed. A nearshore survey was conducted to assess the populations of both game and non-game fish species. Ten 100' long sampling stations were evenly spaced…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Island Lake. 4 reports on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Common questions

What fish are in Island Lake?

Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 25, 2020 caught 12.10 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Island Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–15 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 12 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 Island Lake last surveyed?

The most recent fisheries survey on file for Island Lake is dated August 25, 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 Island Lake stocked?

Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Island Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.

Do the water-quality readings tell me how Island Lake fishes?

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Island Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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

Water-quality readings are 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 with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.

Where to stay near Island Lake

Top-rated places to stay near Island Lake

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

See the full where-to-stay map for Island Lake →

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