Minnesota · Itasca County
Three Island Lake Fishing guide
Three Island Lake is a 250-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota, reaching 66 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 23 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2012, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 14 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Smallmouth bassOne of the best around121.9per hr (electrofishing)8"Typical20"Biggest
Lengths measured · 193 fish
Recent · 2012Lengths measured · 193 fish
2012Lengths measured · 281 fish
1997Northern pikeJust a few3per gill net24"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 24 fish
Recent · 2012Lengths measured · 24 fish
2012Lengths measured · 26 fish
1997BluegillJust a few4.7per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 46 fish
Recent · 2012Lengths measured · 46 fish
2012Lengths measured · 257 fish
1997Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Three Island Lake through the year
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn. At 23 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. On a lake that drops to 66 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 23 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 66 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.
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 | Smallmouth bass | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 20" | 25" | 17" |
| 1997 | 20" | 19" | 10" |
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:
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Smallmouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Tail Spinner
Compact lead body with a free-spinning blade on the tail
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
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
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 2012 survey
Three Island Lake is a 235-acre lake located 5 miles east of Marcell, MN. The lake is moderately developed and has very clear water with a Secchi disk reading of 23 ft. Three Island Lake is deep with a maximum depth of 66 ft and is accessible by a portage trail from Crooked Lake. Previous water chemistry indicated low fertility which impacts the fishery through slow growth and reduced abundance. Primary fish species include smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike and panfish.
Smallmouth and largemouth bass were sampled by night electrofishing in early June. Three Island Lake historically has a high density smallmouth bass population with quality fish. The catch rate in 2012 was 121.9/hour and was similar to past assessments which varied from 65 to 120/hour. Size structure was good with fish up to 20 inches sampled. Growth was slow with fish averaging 13.5 inches by age six compared to 20.5 inches at age six for the statewide average. Although growth was slow, fish up to age 12 were sampled. Despite slow growth, smallmouth in Three Island Lake live long enough to attain a large size. Anglers can help maintain the quality smallmouth bass population by releasing larger fish because it can take 10 years or longer to grow a 20 inch fish.
Read the full DNR narrative
Largemouth bass were less abundant and had an electrofishing catch rate of 4.5/hour and was similar to past assessments. Size structure was good with fish up to 17 inches sampled. Growth was also slow with fish averaging 13.5 inches at age six compared to 15.1 inches for the statewide average.
The northern pike gill net catch rate was 3.0/net and was at the lower end of the expected range for similar lakes. Northern pike were not sampled in the first two assessments in 1968 and 1974 and catch rates in assessments since then have varied from 4.0 to 8.6/gill net. Size structure in 2012 was moderate with fish up to 30 inches sampled. Previous assessments had sampled fish up to 39 inches. Growth was faster than the statewide average to age seven and slower than the average to age nine.
The bluegill catch rate was 4.7/trap net and was lower than the expected range for similar lakes. Catch rates in past assessments have been variable from 3.0 to 37.5/trap net. Size structure was poor with only two fish sampled larger than 8 inches. Size structure has also been poor in past assessments, likely due to the low fertility of the lake.
Three walleye were sampled for a catch rate of 0.5/gill net which was below the expected range. Walleye catch rates have generally been low and walleye were not sampled in the first two assessments in 1968 and 1974. Walleye have not been stocked and the population is maintained through natural reproduction. Yellow perch are an important prey species for walleye and their low catch rates likely limits the walleye population.
Yellow perch catch rates have been less than 1/gill net in all assessments except in 1982 when the catch rate was 10.8/net. Only one yellow perch was sampled by trap nets in 2012. Low yellow perch catch rates likely limits the population of walleye and northern pike.
Three Island Lake has a fairly simple fish community and white sucker was the only other species sampled. Because Three Island Lake is a small, deep and fairly sterile, net catches are generally light. In 2012, six gill nets sampled a total of 45 fish and trap nets sampled 52 fish.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Three Island Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Three 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
- US Forest Service access: Portage trail from Crooked Lake on SW shore.
DNR bathymetry
Three Island Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Crooked Lake · 135 ac · 0.9 mi
- Big Island Lake · 244 ac · 1.1 mi
- Clubhouse Lake · 265 ac · 1.5 mi
- Big Ole Lake · 217 ac · 1.9 mi
- Fox Lake · 263 ac · 2.1 mi
- Gunn Lake · 382 ac · 2.1 mi
- Big Dick Lake · 260 ac · 2.3 mi
- Burns Lake · 181 ac · 2.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Three Island Lake?
Three Island Lake reaches 66 ft at its deepest point; about 26% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Three Island Lake?
Three Island Lake covers 250 acres with about 3.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Three Island Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Three Island Lake average 23 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Three Island Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2012) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch.
Is Three Island Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Three Island Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Three Island Lake have a public access?
Yes. Three Island Lake has one public access site: US Forest Service access (Portage trail from Crooked Lake on SW shore.).
How big do smallmouth bass get in Three Island Lake?
The biggest smallmouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 20"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Three Island Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Three Island Lake in 2012, the most recent of 6 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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