Farm Island Lake

How big is Farm Island Lake?

How deep is Farm Island Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Farm Island Lake?

What are the closest cities to Farm Island Lake?

What are the best fishing times for Farm Island Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Farm Island Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Farm Island Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Farm Island Lake

Are there boat launches on Farm Island Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Farm Island Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Farm Island Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Farm Island Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Farm Island Lake?

Farm Island Lake is a large and popular lake located about seven miles south of Aitkin. There are two public accesses with concrete log ramps, one in the northeast and one in the southwest portion of the lake. Sand is the primary substrate around much of the lake, but scattered muck, silt, gravel, and rubble areas create diverse aquatic habitats. Consequently, aquatic vegetation is also diverse with a variety of emergent, floating-leaf, and submerged species present. Curly-leaf pond weed is also present. Healthy aquatic plant communities help to break wave action and prevent erosion, stabilize bottom substrates, maintain water clarity, and provide adult spawning and juvenile rearing habitat for numerous aquatic organisms. This survey was delayed by one week due to flood conditions on the lake. Water levels were still very high and an emergency "NO WAKE" restriction was in place to protect the shoreline from erosion during the course of the survey. An important item to consider when reviewing the data associated with this survey is that the survey took place in late summer during a period of extreme heat, calm winds, and high humidity, with unusual water level conditions. These kinds of environmental conditions can have adverse effect on fish metabolism and movement, which may affect catch rates. Walleye have been stocked regularly since 1922, at a variety of sizes and frequencies. The current strategy calls for stocking walleye fry annually beginning in 2017. This is a change from fry stocking in three of four years, while leaving non-stocked years to evaluate the amount of natural reproduction. Fall electrofishing and gill net assessments have shown lower recruitment of natural fish in comparison to fry stocked year classes, suggesting natural reproduction is still inadequate to maintain the fishery. Age analysis found 10 year-classes and revealed that limited natural reproduction still occurs at a low level. A special regulation protecting walleye 16"-19" has been in place since 1996 to improve angler catch rates of those sizes of fish, and has largely been successful. Recently, walleye assessment catch rates have fallen to 4.7/net (2016), which is below the desired threshold for the current management plan. The two year classes not stocked (2010 and 2014) would typically account for an additional 2 fish per net, whereas they tallied only 0.7/net in 2016. The new stocking strategy should remedy the current situation by reducing the chance for a weak year class, which should boost catches back above the 6 per net range by the next survey. Northern pike catches decreased from (11.8/gill net) 2013 to (6.8/gill net) 2016 and are within the normal range for lake type, this marks the first survey that pike have been below 8/gill net since 1995. As is typical for this lake, size was poor with a mean length of 20" and mean weight of 1.6 pounds. There is a small contingent of larger pike in the lake that can play an important role in regulating survival and growth of various species. Anglers should consider releasing fish greater than 24" to help protect the vital function these fish provide, and allow additional opportunities for others. Largemouth bass anglers will find ample habitat to fish. While bass are not typically sampled in high numbers by standard survey gear, several year classes were identified and fish up to nearly 18" were captured. Low numbers of adult smallmouth bass can also be found in Farm Island Lake. Black crappie and bluegill catches did not vary much from recent surveys. Black crappie catches have been fairly stable, ranging from 0 to 2 per gill net in the last 3 decades. The catch rate of 0.7/gill net, in 2016, was slightly less than the previous survey, but was well within the normal range for this lake. Size structure was favorable in 2016, with a mean length of 8.5" in gill nets and 10.5" in trap nets. Bluegill trap net catches were 10.9/net, which is similar to three previous three surveys, back to 2010. Bluegills had a mean length of 5.5 inches and fish up to 10 inches were sampled. The lake does produce quality-sized fish of both species. The lake also supports a small population of tullibee (northern cisco), a species that requires adequate coldwater habitat to survive. Temperature and oxygen monitoring conducted from 2009 to 2016 indicate only marginal habitat is available to tullibee in most years. The lake will continue to be monitored for any changes to thermal habitat that could affect the fish community.

What is the average air temp for Farm Island Lake?

Are there any state parks near Farm Island Lake?