Pine Island

Pine Island is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Black Crappie and secondarily for Walleye and Largemouth Bass. Pine Island Lake is a relatively shallow lake that is best suited for Northern Pike and panfish. In 2024, a Standard Survey was conducted on Pine Island Lake which included spring daytime electrofishing, standard summer gill netting, and summer trap netting. IBI (Index of Biotic Integrity) sampling was also performed in 2024, and consisted of backpack electrofishing, and shoreline seine hauls. We use gill nets to sample Northern Pike, Walleye, and Yellow Perch while trap nets are used to sample Bluegill and other panfish along the shorelines. Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie are usually best evaluated in the spring with electrofishing gear. Pine Island Lake has a reputation for being a "hammerhandle" lake and unfortunately, this year the survey results emphasize that more than ever with few fish over or in the 22-26 inch immediate release slot and an average size of less than 16 inches. The 2024 gill net catch was at the high end of the lake's historical range at over 12 per gill net lift. It may be beneficial to harvest smaller 15-21 inch Northern Pike and the release of any fish measuring over 22 inches. 2024 was the first time there was not a Northern Pike sampled larger than 28 inches in Pine Island. As for Bluegill the number sampled was well below the lake's average. Although the numbers fell the size structure of these fish vastly improved from all previous years. In 2024, 45% of the sampled Bluegill were over 7 inches and 5.5% of the sampled Bluegill were over 8 inches including an 8.8 inch specimen, the largest Bluegill ever measured in Pine Island trap nets. Largemouth Bass size structure and abundance have not shifted dramatically based on historical electrofishing results. The percent of fish sampled over 15 inches was 19.5%, in 2024 with the largest measuring almost 19 inches. Average length was 12.3 inches. In 2024 a total of 27 Crappie were caught when combining the gill net and trap net efforts. Only 1 of the 27 (3.5%) sampled Black Crappie measured over 10 inches. Similar numbers and size structures have been evident in gill nets and summer trap nets from previous surveys dating back to 1993. Past spring trap netting and electrofishing efforts have shown better representation of fish over 10 inches though crappies were not targeted in the 2024 spring electrofishing. The 2024 gill net sample of Walleye consisted of one fish which was not unexpected since the lake has not been stocked since 2016 when it was placed on a lower priority "surplus" status for stocking. Gill net catches have been below 1.7 per lift since 2005 despite consistent stocking from 2000 to 2016. A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Pine Island Lake was conducted on June 18 and 20, 2024 by Little Falls Area Fisheries Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot seine. Backpack electrofishing was performed at all stations with one site being electrofished from the boat. Seining was completed at nine of ten sampling stations. Some seine hauls consisted of lengthened hauls or double passes to increase the area sampled. Nearshore sampling captured 19 species of fish including two species considered intolerant of disturbance, Banded Killifish and Blackchin Shiner. One species that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish) was sampled. The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from the July 2024 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., Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter, and Rock 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. Data from this survey suggests Pine Island Lake displays good lake health as indicated by the FIBI score of 62 which is above the impairment threshold (38) and the "exceptional" threshold (59) for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. The score from 2024 is similar to past scores in 2011 (69) and 2016 (66), which were both "Exceptional" and the species composition/assemblage showed minimal differences. All of these scores are indicative of very favorable habitat conditions. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community during the Mississippi River-Brainerd Watershed assessment process completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Spring daytime electrofishing was performed May 20, 2019 on Pine Island Lake in an effort to provide data for a potential bass season extension project. The lake has been daytime electrofished during four springs since 2011. A total of 66 Largemouth Bass were captured in 2019 in just under an hour of effort resulting in a catch rate of 68/hour. Bass ranged from 6.0 to 19.4 inches in length with half the fish falling in the 14-17.9 inch range. Mean length was 13.3 inches. Past daytime catch rates have been variable ranging from 28.5 to 77 per hour with a mean of 51 per hour. The 2019 results were typical for Pine Island Lake and suggest a relatively stable population with consistent reproduction. A variety of habitats are present in the lake including bulrush beds, woody cover, lily pads, cattail fringe and boulders. Anglers seeking bass should find a range of sizes with some potential for larger fish over 18 inches. Harvest of bass over 16 inches should be considered carefully as many of these fish may be 10 to 15 years old or even older.

Pine Island Lake (DOW# 77-0067-00; Lake Class 29) is a 235 acre lake located near Cushing, Minnesota. A township owned gravel boat ramp is located on the north Shore. Pine Island Lake has 3.22 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 26 feet. DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Pine Island Lake is in Lake Class 29; lakes in this class generally have a high amount of water less than 15 feet deep and are regular shaped. Pine Island Lake is predominantly known as a bass and panfish lake. The majority of Bluegill and Black Crappie were just below the size that most anglers prefer, although there were good numbers of both. Numbers of Largemouth Bass were not as high as in the past, but a large percentage of bass sampled were between 12-15 inches. Both Northern Pike and Walleye numbers were similar to past years, however higher numbers of larger Northern Pike were sampled with pike up to 35 inches. Anglers should consider any Walleye caught as a pleasant surprise. Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, 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. Curly Leaf Pondweed has been identified in Pine 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 Little Falls Area Fisheries office.

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

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

Pine Island has a maximum depth of 26 feet and a mean depth of 13 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Pine Island is from 2024.

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