Island Lake (Lyon County)
Lyon County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 42009600
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Island Lake (Lyon County) since 2016, most recently northern pike fingerlings in 2022 (297 fish).
- Island Lake (Lyon County) has 2 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2016-2022): northern pike (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is northern pike: 1,417 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 8 ft; surface area 170 acres, 170 littoral acres, 2.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 1.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, brown bullhead, green sunfish, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Lyon County, nearest town Lynd; DNR lake number (DOW) 42009600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/25/1990 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 297 | 4.0 |
| 2016 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 1,120 | 14.0 |
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | STATE OWNED ACCESS ON WEST SIDE OF LAKE. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead minnow | 50-ft beach seine | 420.00 | 2,520 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 158.00 | 948 | 0.00 |
| Black bullhead | 50-ft beach seine | 4.00 | 24 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | 50-ft beach seine | 1.67 | 10 | 0.00 |
| Brown bullhead | 50-ft beach seine | 0.50 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Fathead minnow | Backpack electrofishing | 215.02 | 175 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Backpack electrofishing | 117.95 | 96 | 0.00 |
| Black bullhead | Backpack electrofishing | 38.09 | 31 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | Backpack electrofishing | 24.57 | 20 | 0.00 |
| Brown bullhead | Backpack electrofishing | 15.97 | 13 | 0.00 |
| Fathead minnow | 15-ft beach seine | 115.50 | 231 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | 15-ft beach seine | 1.00 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 15-ft beach seine | 1.00 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Black bullhead | 15-ft beach seine | 1.00 | 2 | 0.00 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Island Lake was conducted beginning on August 26, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sampling stations. A 50-foot seine was used to sample 6 stations and a 15-foot seine was used at 2 stations. Sampling was difficult at 2 stations, which were not seined because site conditions prevented wading. Nearshore sampling captured 5 species of fish, including 3 species that are tolerant of disturbance (Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a survey conducted by area fisheries staff in July of 2023 to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Fathead Minnow). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Island Lake is adversely impacted by stressors, as indicated by an FIBI score below the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Redwood River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. Island Lake is heavily impacted by environmental stressors. You can help the fishery in Island Lake recover by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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