Island Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota225 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Island Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
Island Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 225.21 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Island Lake. DNR survey details →
Island Lake is a 225-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 32 feet (8-foot average). Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Island Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Island Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.4 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
- Deep water32 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether 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 Island Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Island Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down. Phosphorus 10.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.6 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.6µg/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. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Island Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Island Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 19 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Island Lake.
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 stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-04 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-04 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 24.45 | 3–9 in 2025-08-04 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 17.85 | 5–12 in 2025-08-04 | 0.47 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 8.14 | 4–17 in 2025-08-04 | 1.05 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 7.65 | 3–9 in 2025-08-04 | 0.22 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 5.99 |
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
Yellow Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
Pumpkinseed
From the 2025-08-04 survey
Island Lake (Dow # 29-0088-00) is located seven miles south of Nevis in southern Hubbard County. Island Lake has a surface area of 225 acres and a maximum depth of 32 feet. There is a county-owned public access with an earthen ramp located on the north shore of the lake off Chokecherry Lane. Island Lake provides…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for 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 — IslandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Island (1294)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — IslandPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
32 ft
Average depth
8 ft
Surface area
225 acres
Shoreline
3.4 mi
Littoral zone
61%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
29 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,362 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- 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 Island Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Island Lake in Hubbard 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 Island Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Island Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.06 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.22 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Apr 9, 2005 · Latest May 1, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 5, 2003 · Latest Nov 30, 2004
Most recent ice-out
May 1
2008
16 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Island Lake
Where is Island Lake?
- Island Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Island Lake?
- Island Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 225.21 acres.
Is Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Island Lake?
- Island Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 19 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Island Lake?
- Island Lake has a maximum depth of 32 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 225.21 acres.
What fish are in Island Lake?
- Fish species found in Island Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Island Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Island Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Island Lake. 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 stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Island Lake thaw?
- Island Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 227 days.
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 Island Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Island Lake?
- Island Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Island Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
35 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA35 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
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