Minnesota · Beltrami County
Island Lake Fishing guide
Island Lake covers 424 acres in Beltrami County, Minnesota, reaching 14 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1985, with largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 41 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Island Lake in 1985. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Largemouth bass
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish Island Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 14-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Bluegill
- Spring
- Bluegill are on the beds in firm-bottomed shallows, in colonies of dozens. On a clear lake those colonies sit deeper than you expect.
- Early summer
- Bluegill are off the beds and onto the weed edges and brush, the biggest ones pulling out first.
- Summer
- Bluegill are on the deep weedline of a stratified lake, sliding out as the surface starts back down. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Bluegill are back up onto the flats and into the last green weeds, feeding hard while the shallows still hold heat. A 14-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 1985 survey
the present population status consists predominant ly of the 1984 panfish stocking and a species com- postion that is expected for a lake which has par- tail and complete winterkills. Brb, pks, blg, and blc are above local median and yep and lmb below local medians.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Island Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Island Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Island Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Island Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Dellwater Lake · 199 ac · 2.5 mi
- Balm Lake · 537 ac · 4 mi
- Sandy Lake · 103 ac · 5.4 mi
- Moose Lake · 132 ac · 5.9 mi
- Clearwater Lake · 999 ac · 8.3 mi
- Deer Lake · 298 ac · 8.5 mi
- Long Lake · 664 ac · 9.2 mi
- Bagley Lake · 97 ac · 9.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Island Lake?
Island Lake reaches 14 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Island Lake?
Island Lake covers 424 acres with about 4.6 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Island Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1985) record largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Island Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Island Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Island Lake have a public access?
Yes. Island Lake has one public access site: Island Lake (trailer launch).
When was Island Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Island Lake in 1985. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Island Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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