Little Island Lake

On the LakeGrade scale Little Island Lake grades a B, with clarity at 6.9 ft and 13 µg/L of phosphorus placing it above the Minnesota median. Clarity is the limiting factor — phosphorus is reasonable but suspended particles or algal cells keep water transparency below Minnesota norms.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Little Island Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake bottoms out at 35 ft — a moderate depth that supports a warm-water fishery without the year-round cold refuge a deeper basin provides. At 73 acres, Little Island Lake sits below the Minnesota median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Little Island Lake sits at rank 89 of 141 in Itasca County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Little Island Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Little Island Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.