Fishing at Island Lake, Ramsey County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Island Lake lies in Ramsey County, Minnesota. The setting is pine and birch on every side. Surface area is around 43 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. There is roughly 1.3 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It is low-lying compared with other Minnesota water we list. Arden Hills is the closest town at 1.1 miles. After that come Shoreview at 1.9 miles and Little Canada at 3 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Island Lake

  The charted maximum sits at about 12 feet. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Ramsey County, recorded fish include bluegill, common carp and black crappie. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Island Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 13°F and July at about 73°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It holds true on Island Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. A picnic site half a mile off makes this workable with family in tow. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Mud Lake, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback.