Island Lake

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What kind of fish can you catch in Island Lake?

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Island Lake is a 61-acre lake located 5 miles northwest of Taconite, MN. The lake is the third and smallest lake in a chain of three connected lakes including O'Reilly and Shamrock Lakes. The lake is lightly developed and has bog-stained water with a Secchi disk reading of 9.0 ft. Previous water chemistry sampling indicated low to moderate fertility. Island Lake is shallower and slightly more fertile than O'Reilly or Shamrock Lake. Primary fish species include northern pike, largemouth bass and panfish.

The northern pike gill net catch rate was 4.3/net and was within the expected range for similar lakes. Catch rates in past assessments have varied from 2.5 to 12.3/net. Size structure was poor and only two fish over 23 inches were sampled. Eight year classes of northern pike were sampled with fish up to age 8. Growth was similar to the statewide average and fish averaged 25.9 inches by age 6.

Largemouth bass were sampled by spring electrofishing and sampled 17 fish for a catch rate of 51.0/h, indicating a moderate to abundant population. This was the first assessment to sample largemouth bass by electrofishing. No fish were sampled by gill nets or trap nets. Size structure was moderate with fish up to 16 inches sampled. Most year classes were sampled with fish up to age 8 indicating a population with good recruitment to older age classes. Growth was slower than the statewide average with fish averaging 13.3 inches by age 6.

The bluegill catch rate was 4.5/trap net and was within the expected range. Catch rates have generally been low and varied from 2.5 to 14.0/net. Catch rates in most years have been less than 10/trap net. Size structure was poor with few fish larger than 6 inches and no fish larger than 8 inches sampled. Size structure has generally been poor in most recent assessments. Fish up to age 10 were sampled and most year classes were present. Growth was slower than the lake class average with fish only averaging 5.8 inches by age 7 and 6.5 inches at age 9.

Black crappie catch rates were low, with catch rates of 0.3 and 1.3/net for gill nets and trap nets. Catch rates in past assessments have been highly variable varying from 1.0 to 15.7/gill net. Size structure was poor with no fish exceeding 9 inches. Five age classes were present and fish up to age 7 were sampled. Growth was much slower than the statewide average with fish averaging 7.5 inches by age 6, compared to 10.5 inches at age 6 for the statewide average.

Common prey species such as yellow perch and tullibee were not sampled in this assessment. Both species have been sampled in few previous assessments. Low abundance of prey species limits growth rates and abundance of predator species such as northern pike.

Other species sampled by gill nets and trap nets include brown and yellow bullhead and pumpkinseed sunfish.

Lakeshore owners may affect fish populations not only through harvesting fish, but also through land use practices. It is important to leave a 30 to 50 ft buffer strip of native vegetation along the shoreline to prevent erosion and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Nonfunctioning septic systems can also lead to water quality problems. Good water quality and fish populations are the direct result of good land use practices. Anglers can also help to improve the size structure of the fish community by harvesting fewer smaller fish and releasing medium and larger fish.

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Are there any state parks near Island Lake?