Minnesota · Cass County

Island Lake Fishing guide

Island Lake covers 184 acres in Cass County, Minnesota, reaching 40 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 18 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 40 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface184 ac

Max depth40 ft

Clarity18 ft

Littoral54%

Surveyed2023

How to fish Island Lake through the year

Walleye

Spring: Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 18 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
Early summer: Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
Summer: Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 40 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.

Northern pike

Spring: Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 18 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
Early summer: Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
Summer: Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 40 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.

Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.

Size history

Biggest fish by survey year

Survey year	Walleye	Northern pike	Largemouth bass
2023	18"	33"	16"
2017	—	34"	20"
2007	—	27"	19"
2002	27"	30"	17"
1997	—	28"	18"

Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.

Suggested tackle

What to bring

Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:

Walleye · Live bait

Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler

jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

Shop paddletail swimbaits →

Northern pike · Jigs & bladed

Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)

#2–#4 in-line spinner

1–10 ftmoderate

Shop inline spinners →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Texas-Rigged Worm

7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm

1–25 ftdead slow

Shop plastic worms →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Free Rig

Creature bait or magnum finesse worm

8–30 ftdead slowweedless

Shop creature baits →

Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

DNR stocking records

Stocking history

Year	Species	Stocked
2024	Walleye	298 yearlings

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2023 survey

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.

Read the full DNR narrative

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.

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.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Cass County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Island Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Island Lake depth map

Island Lake depth contour map, Cass County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 40 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Sand Lake · 149 ac · 1 mi
Sand Lake · 41 ac · 1.4 mi
Ponto Lake · 388 ac · 1.4 mi
Long Lake · 246 ac · 1.5 mi
Blackwater Lake · 772 ac · 1.6 mi
Widow Lake · 198 ac · 1.9 mi
Hay Lake · 364 ac · 2.6 mi
Hand Lake · 289 ac · 2.7 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Island Lake?

Island Lake reaches 40 ft at its deepest point; about 54% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Island Lake?

Island Lake covers 184 acres with about 3.6 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Island Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Island Lake average 18 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Island Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Island Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024.

Does Island Lake have a public access?

Yes. Island Lake has one public access site: Island Lake (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in Island Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 18"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.

When was Island Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Island Lake in 2023, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.

Page updated October 28, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Island Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Island Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report