Island

Island Lake (DOW # 29-0254-00) is located seven miles north of Park Rapids in Hubbard County. Island Lake has a surface area of 541 acres and a maximum depth of 65 feet. There is a state-owned public access located on the west end of the lake off Inland Drive. Island Lake is a popular lake for Walleye and Northern Pike and provides fishing opportunities for Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Largemouth Bass. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Island is in Lake Class 25. Lake Class 25 lakes generally have hard water, good clarity, deep depth, and an irregular shaped shoreline. Other Lake Class 25 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include: Bad Axe, Belle Taine, Eagle, Little Mantrap, Little Sand, Mantrap, Ojibway, Spider, Straight, Third Crow Wing, Two Inlets, and West Crooked. Walleye abundance was down slightly from historical surveys, but a good diversity of ages and sizes were sampled. Walleye had an average length and weight of 16.5 inches and 1.74 pounds, with fish measured up to 28.0 inches. Yellow Perch, an important forage species for Walleye, abundance was up over the past two surveys, but most fish were still small in size with the average being 6.0 inches. Northern Pike were sampled in high numbers for this Lake Class. While larger Northern Pike are present in Island Lake, small "hammer handle" in the 18-to-22-inch size range dominate the population. Sampled Northern Pike had an average length and weight of 19.6 inches and 1.82 pounds, with fish sampled up to 32.2 inches. Present and past surveys have shown the panfish population in Island Lake fluctuates from low to moderate numbers. About half of Bluegill and Pumpkinseed sampled were in the 6-to-8-inch size range, with fish sampled up to 10 inches. Low numbers of Black Crappie were sampled in smaller sizes, ranging from 9 to 11 inches in size. While anglers can find good fishing for Largemouth Bass on Island Lake, overall bass abundance is low to moderate when compared to other area lakes. Currently Zebra Mussel, an aquatic invasive species (AIS) has been identified in Island Lake. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water form their boats before leaving the access.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Island Lake was conducted on July 28-29, 2021, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 14 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample eight stations, a 15-foot seine was used to sample two stations, and site conditions prevented the use of a seine at four stations. Nearshore sampling captured 23 species of fish including eight species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Logperch, Mimic Shiner, Northern Sunfish, and Rock Bass) and none that are tolerant of disturbance. The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a July 2020 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 Smallmouth Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., 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. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey indicate that the fish community in Island Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score that exceeds the exceptional use threshold determined for similar lakes. These results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Crow Wing River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Island Lake (29-0254-00) is a 541.25-acre lake with a maximum depth of 65 feet located 8 miles northwest of Park Rapids, MN. Park Rapids Fisheries staff conducted a survey targeting near shore fish species on July 16, 2020 to assess populations of non-game and small sport fish. Fourteen 100-foot sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake shore, sampling a variety of habitat types. Each site was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot 1/8th-inch mesh seine, depending on habitat conditions. During this assessment, six sites were sampled with a 15-foot seine. Site conditions prevented the use of seines at eight sites. Backpack electrofishing was done at all 14 sites, several of which were conducted from the side of the boat. Nearshore sampling captured nineteen species of fish including three species intolerant of disturbance; Banded Killifish, Blacknose Shiner, and Blackchin Shiner. Other species sampled during the nearshore effort included Black Bullhead, Bluegill, Bluntnose Minnow, Common Shiner, Creek Chub, Fathead Minnow, Golden Shiner, Johnny Darter, Largemouth Bass, Logperch, Northern Pike, Northern Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Spottail Shiner, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch. Nearshore catches will be used along with gill net and trap net catch data from a standard fisheries survey conducted on July 13, 2020, to calculate a fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score, which is indicative of the health of Island Lake. This survey is contributing to a watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. Island Lake is located in the Crow Wing River Watershed.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Rock Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill 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 65 feet and a mean depth of 21 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Island is from 2025.

Yes — Island has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.