Black Island

Black Island Lake is a 107 acre bass-panfish lake located nine miles southeast of Marcell, MN in the Big Fork River watershed and the Chippewa National Forest. The lake's water is fairly clear (11 foot Secchi transparency) with low alkalinity and fertility. Most of the shoreline is owned by the US Forest Service and is in a natural state. The abundant aquatic vegetation provides good habitat for bass and panfish. A standard survey was conducted in mid-summer 2017 to collect updated information on the fishery. The Northern Pike gill-net catch was below the typical range for lakes with similar habitat. Catches were higher in previous surveys. Lower pike catches are often desirable because high pike numbers are associated with slower growth and poor quality size structure. Size structure of the 2017 sample was moderate, with fish ranging from 19.1 to 27.5 inches. Northern Pike averaged 25.0 inches and 3.4 pounds. Too few pike were sampled to provide meaningful age and growth statistics. Catch rates for Black Crappie are more variable than for other species. Crappie often suspend in the water column and are not sampled well by mid-summer netting. The Black Crappie gill-net catch was within the lake class typical range and average for Black Island Lake, while the trap-net catch was below the typical range for similar lakes. Of the few crappie sampled, most were less than eight inches. Bluegill were sampled in numbers similar to previous surveys and within the typical range for this lake class. Lakes like Black Island generally do not produce many large Bluegill. The 2017 sample had a modest size structure; fish ranged from 4.0 to 8.2 inches with a mean length of 6.7 inches. Ages 3 through 8 were represented in the sample, with the majority of fish being age 5 and older. The average length of 5.9 inches at age 6 was above the lake class average (5.2). The Largemouth Bass trap-net catch was well above the historical average and the typical range for similar lakes. Largemouth from the trap nets ranged from 5.2 to 15.9 inches with a mean length of 10.3 inches. No age and growth information was collected but the length-frequency distribution suggested several year-classes were present. Black Island Lake provides angling opportunities for high numbers of small to medium-sized bass. The Smallmouth Bass gill-net catch was typical for Black Island Lake and lakes with similar habitat. Sampled fish ranged from 14.4 to 17.8 inches. The Yellow Perch catch rate was within the lake class normal range and near the historical average for Black Island. Perch ranged from 5.9 to 7.3 inches. Yellow Perch are likely more important as a prey species for Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike than as a target for anglers. Small lakes with low fertility are vulnerable to overharvest by anglers. Large fish are usually rare and can take a long time to replace once they are harvested. Anglers can help improve the quality of fish populations by practicing selective harvest of smaller fish while releasing medium to large fish. Releasing these fish can help maintain a more balanced fish community and provide anglers with the opportunity to catch more large fish in the future.

NORTHERN PIKE NET CATCH RATES HAVE DROPPED SLIGHTLY FROM PREVIOUS SURVEYS. BLUEGILL NET CATCH RATES ARE ALSO DECLINING AND YELLOW PERCH WHICH WERE COMMONLY CAUGHT IN PAST SURVEY NETS HAVE DISAPPEARED FROM THIS SURVEY. WALLEYES WHICH NEVER WERE VERY ABUNDANT WERE NOT CAUGHT IN THIS STUDY. NO MINNOW SPECIES HAVE EVER BEEN CAPTURED FROM SEINES OR MINNOW TRAPS IN THIS LAKE. BOTH BASS SPECIES AND BLACK CRAPPIE NET CATCH RATES HAVE NOT CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE INITIAL SURVEY IN 1975 AND ARE SIMILAR TO STATE AND LOCAL MEDIANS FOR THESE SPECIES. GROWTH RATES FOR NORTHERN PIKE AND BOTH BASS SPECIES ARE SIMILAR TO THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE RATE FOR THOSE SPECIES.

NORTHERN PIKE, BLUEGILL AND BASS POPULATIONS ARE ABOVE STATE AND LOCAL AVERAGES. PERCH NUMBERS ARE FIVE TIMES BELOW THE STATE AND LOCAL MEDIANS.

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

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

Black Island has a maximum depth of 59 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Black Island is from 2017. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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