Island Lake Reservoir fishing: Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass

Target species: Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Channel Catfish
Boat: 2 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Island Lake, Dam Site Public Water Access Site, 2 lanes.

The reservoir

Island Lake Reservoir covers 6,460 acres in Minnesota, across St. Louis County. It is a reservoir: 92.1% of it is 33 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 70 feet (21.3 m). Our records hold 16 species for this water.

Island Lake Reservoir MN duluth IMG 1512.JPG
Bjoertvedt · CC BY-SA 3.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 70 ft (21.3 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 92.1% of the water is 33 feet or shallower. We hold 284 depth contour lines for this water.

Island Lake Park - Island Lake Reservoir, Minnesota (35187342704).jpg
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
  • 0–3 ft: 15.3% of the water
  • 3–6 ft: 8.7% of the water
  • 6–9 ft: 8.6% of the water
  • 9–12 ft: 10.7% of the water
  • 12–15 ft: 10.9% of the water
  • 15–18 ft: 10.6% of the water
  • 18–21 ft: 9.4% of the water
  • 21–24 ft: 6.1% of the water
  • 24–27 ft: 4.1% of the water
  • 27–30 ft: 4.1% of the water
  • 30–33 ft: 3.6% of the water
  • 33–36 ft: 2.4% of the water
  • 36–39 ft: 2.4% of the water
  • 39–42 ft: 1.9% of the water
  • 42–45 ft: 0.7% of the water
  • 45–48 ft: 0.3% of the water
  • 48–51 ft: 0.3% of the water
  • 51–54 ft: 0.1% of the water

7 target fish, led by Muskellunge

  • Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
  • Yellow Perch — Feeding water: 45–75°F.
  • Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.

Also recorded here: Burbot, Black Bullhead, Shorthead Redhorse, White Sucker, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Cisco, Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed.

2 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 2 trailer ramps and 1 shore access point.

  • Island Lake, Dam Site Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. Minnesota Power.
  • Island Lake, Abbot Road (E) Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.

Shore access for bank fishing

  • Cloquet River Public Water Access Site — 1 lane. Minnesota Power.

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 3 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 61°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 7.9. These readings span 2017–2025.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 6,460 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Only 2 public ramps are on file, so the launch decides where you fish.

Where this data comes from

  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: reported depths: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.