Island Lake
Ramsey County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Island Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
Island Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 69 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.6 µg/L.
Island Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 12 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Ramsey County, Island Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Island Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. 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.
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 69 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28.6 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 69µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 28.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Island Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Island Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Mar (about 40°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (40°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 493 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Island Lake water temperature breakdown →
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).
- —Public Water Access Sites — Island (Basin S.of I-694)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
~12 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Island Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
42 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
942 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
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 Ramsey 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Island Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near 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 Island Lake’s readings
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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.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.39 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.84 µg/L/yr6 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN62-0075-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ramsey County
Frequently asked questions about Island Lake
Where is Island Lake?
- Island Lake is a lake in Ramsey 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 Ramsey County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 69 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.6 µg/L.
Is Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Island Lake?
- Island Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 493 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Island Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Island Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 12 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
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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Fish species and best lakes in Ramsey County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
351 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
MNPCA351 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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