Fishing Island Lake: What the DNR Survey Work Shows
Island Lake is small, deep and clear, and its fish story is best read alongside its neighbor Loon, because the DNR samples the two together.
Some lakes reveal themselves in an afternoon. Island Lake asks for a little more patience. At about 176 acres with a maximum depth of 76 feet, it is one of the smaller lakes on the Whitefish Chain, yet it drops off deeper than most of its size would suggest. Roughly 48 percent of the lake is 15 feet deep or less, which means about half of it is weedy, sunlit shallows and the other half falls away into cool, open water.
If you are thinking about a place of your own here, the fishing is part of the daily rhythm, not just a weekend plan. You can start with the Island Lake guide for the basics, or, if you are already looking, see how David works with buyers on the chain.
Looking for a home where the dock is your fishing spot? Start your Whitefish Chain search with David.
One survey, two lakes
Here is the first thing to know. The Minnesota DNR samples Island Lake and Loon Lake together and reports the results under the name Island-Loon. They are two separate lakes, joined by a short channel, but the fish survey treats them as one unit. So when you read a DNR catch rate for "Island-Loon," it describes both lakes at once, not Island alone. We describe the findings in words here for that reason, and you can read about the smaller lake in the Loon Lake fishing guide.
What the 2005 DNR survey found
The most recent DNR survey summary we could verify is from 2005. Its findings for Island-Loon, in plain terms:
- Walleye: caught at a below-average rate compared with similar lakes, but the fish that were caught were large, and all of them were over 12 inches. The DNR has not stocked walleye in Island-Loon since 1967; the connected Whitefish Lake is stocked.
- Northern pike: present in average numbers, with a good share of fish 24 inches or longer.
- Largemouth bass: caught in average numbers in trap nets.
- Black crappie: average catch rates, with more than half of the fish 8 inches or larger.
- Bluegill: average numbers, though the lowest the DNR had recorded on these lakes up to then.
- Lake whitefish and tullibee (cisco): both present, a sign of the cool, well-oxygenated deep water these species need.
The survey also recorded bowfin, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, longear sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, white sucker, yellow bullhead and yellow perch. Surveys are snapshots. Before you plan a season around them, check the DNR LakeFinder for any newer survey of Island-Loon.
Reading the water
The DNR's 2012 sensitive lakeshore report lists Island Lake at a maximum depth of 76 feet and classifies it as oligotrophic, meaning low in nutrients. That fits what you see from the dock: clear water, with the site's measured average clarity at about 16.8 feet. Clear water shapes how fish behave. On bright summer days, expect them to sit deeper or tuck into weed edges and shade, and expect the low-light hours to matter more.
The DNR's 2011 plant survey, also done for Island and Loon together, found a rich mix of underwater plants, including coontail, flat-stem pondweed, northern watermilfoil and Canada waterweed, along with beds of white and yellow waterlilies in the shallows. Those edges are where much of the panfish and bass action lives.
A season on the water
Spring. After ice-out, the shallow bays warm first. Panfish and bass move toward the shallows as the water warms, and pike roam the weed growth as it comes up.
Summer. The weed line becomes the main event for bass and panfish. With clear water and real depth, early mornings and evenings tend to be the most comfortable times to fish.
Fall. Cooling water draws fish back toward the shallows and the remaining green weeds before they settle into winter patterns.
Winter. Island is a modest-sized lake, which makes ice fishing feel close to home. The DNR's guidance is at least 4 inches of new, clear ice for walking and 5 to 7 inches for a snowmobile or small ATV. Check thickness yourself, often, and stay well away from the channels, where current can keep ice thin.
Getting there: access and channels
The DNR's 2012 report lists the chain's public accesses on Lower Hay, Whitefish, Clamshell, Big Trout and Cross lakes. It lists none on Island. Most anglers who do not live on the lake launch elsewhere on the chain and arrive by boat. Crow Wing County's water surface use ordinance makes the channel between Island and Whitefish lakes, and the channel between Island and Loon, slow no-wake zones, so plan on an easy idle through both.
The whole Whitefish Chain, including Island Lake, was designated infested waters for zebra mussels in 2013 because the lakes are connected, so clean, drain and dry your boat and gear every time you move it between lakes.
Want to compare? See the neighboring Lower Whitefish and Upper Whitefish guides, or browse all the lakes on the chain.
Questions
Does the DNR survey Island Lake by itself?
No. The DNR surveys Island and Loon together as Island-Loon, so its fish numbers describe both lakes combined, not Island alone.
Is there a public boat launch on Island Lake?
The DNR's list of public accesses on the Whitefish Chain does not include one on Island. Boaters typically launch elsewhere on the chain and come in through the slow no-wake channel from Whitefish Lake.
Is walleye stocked in Island Lake?
According to the DNR survey summary, walleye have not been stocked in Island-Loon since 1967. Whitefish Lake, which connects to Island, is stocked.
Thinking about a lake home where you can fish before breakfast? Read what living on Island Lake is like and the Island Lake buyer's guide.
David Olson has more than 20 years of experience and a family cabin on the Whitefish Chain in Crosslake. Call or text 218.513.2677, email david@whitefishpropertyfinder.com, or start your search.
Sources: Minnesota DNR, Sensitive Lakeshore Survey, Whitefish Chain of Lakes (2012); Minnesota DNR 2005 Island-Loon fish survey summary, as published by Lake-Link; Crow Wing County Water Surface Use Ordinance; Minnesota DNR news release on Whitefish Chain infested waters (2013); Minnesota DNR ice safety guidance.