Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 11, 2012
Three Island Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Three Island Lake average 20.48 smallmouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 6 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 11, 2012. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–20 inches. In Itasca County, Minnesota, Three Island Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 29.0 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Species recorded at Three Island Lake
7 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 Three Island Lake
No stocking record for Three Island Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Three Island Lake average 20.48 smallmouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 6 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 11, 2012. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–20 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Three Island Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2012-06-11 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 20.48 | 0.96 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.48 | 0.11 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.08 | 2.67 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 1.55 | 0.14 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 1.51 | 0.52 lb |
| White Sucker | 0.85 | 2.63 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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.
Smallmouth Bass
Bluegill
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
From the 2012-06-11 survey
Three Island Lake is a 235-acre lake located 5 miles east of Marcell, MN. The lake is moderately developed and has very clear water with a Secchi disk reading of 23 ft. Three Island Lake is deep with a maximum depth of 66 ft and is accessible by a portage trail from Crooked Lake. Previous water chemistry indicated low…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Three 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 — Three IslandFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Three Island Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Three Island Lake average 20.48 smallmouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 6 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 11, 2012. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–20 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 7 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 Three Island Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Three Island Lake is dated June 11, 2012. 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 Three Island Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Three Island Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Three Island Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Three Island Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 4 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
A water-quality grade is 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 can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
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