Island

Island Lake is a 184-acre lake with 3.55 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 40 feet located near Longville, MN. A DNR owned public access is located on the east shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Island Lake is in Lake Class 32; lakes in this class are generally large and possess a high percentage of area less than 15 feet deep. Other area lakes in this class include Long (Pinecrest), Long (Lost Rocky), and Moccasin Lake. Island lake is primarily managed for Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Largemouth Bass, and secondarily for Northern Pike and Yellow Perch. A daily limit of five sunfish was implemented in 2022. Island Lake provides multi-species angling opportunity. Bluegill averaged 6 inches and fish up to 8 inches were sampled. Black Crappie up to 12 inches were sampled with numerous year-classes present. Largemouth Bass were abundant averaging 12 inches long. Northern Pike catches met management goals with fish up to 34 inches sampled. Sampled pike ranged from 11 to 34 inches long and averaged 22 inches. Yellow Perch abundance has remained low in recent surveys (since 2007). Walleye (mixed ages) were stocked in Island in 2021 by private purchase and were sampled during this survey, ranging in length from 13 to 18 inches. Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter in Island include Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently, no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Island Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in Island Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff from 13-15 June 2023. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sites with one site sampled from the boat. A 50-foot seine was used to sample nine sites, and a 15-foot seine was used at one site. Nearshore sampling captured 16 native species of fish including six species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Pugnose Shiner, and Rock Bass) and no species that are tolerant of disturbance. A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted on 13-15 June 2023 by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill and Yellow Bullhead comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Bluegill, Yellow Bullhead, and Bowfin comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was about the 75% quartile for similar Lake Class 32 lakes and the average length was 6.1 inches, with 21% over 7 inches. There were too few Black Crappie sampled (6) to say anything significant about the population, but those that were sampled averaged 9.25 inches in length. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a July 2023 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. An additional survey was completed on Island Lake in July 2022 resulting in a similar FIBI score. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey indicates an exceptional fish community is present in Island Lake and indicates it is in good health as indicated by an FIBI score well above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Leech Lake River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Island Lake (DOW # 11-0257) is a 184-acre bass-panfish lake located near Longville, Minnesota. The lake has 3.55 miles of shoreline with a maximum depth of 40.0 feet. About 54 percent of the lake is less than 15 feet deep. A DNR owned public access is located on the east side of the lake. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike and secondarily for Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Yellow Perch. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different lake classes based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Island Lake is in Lake Class 32. Lakes in this class are generally large, have a high percentage of lake area less than 15 feet deep, lower water clarity, and irregular shapes. Similar Lake Class 32 lakes in the Walker area include Long (Pinecrest), Long (Lost Rocky), and Moccasin. The purpose of this survey was to assess Black Crappie, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch populations using gill nets set in the summer. Island Lake offers opportunities for anglers seeking a variety of species. Northern Pike are abundant and generally run small. The average length and weight of Northern Pike sampled in 2017 were 20 inches and 2 pounds. Fish up to 35 inches in length were in the sample. Largemouth Bass are abundant with quality fish present. The length range of sampled Largemouth Bass from gill nets was 6 to 18 inches, with fish up to 20 inches observed in other gears. Bluegill are moderately abundant but there are few fish greater than 8 inches long in the lake. Black Crappie are abundant with quality fish present. The length range of sampled Black Crappie was 4 to 13 inches. Yellow Perch numbers are near a historic low. Other species sampled in 2017 include and Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Island Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Hybrid Sunfish, Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and Rock Bass in Island. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Island. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Island has a maximum depth of 40 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Island is from 2023.

No invasive species are on record for Island in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.