Lake information report
Name: Farm Island
Nearest Town: Bennettville
Primary County: Aitkin Survey Date: 07/30/2007
Inventory Number: 01015900
Lake Characteristics
Lake Area (acres): 2002.91
Littoral Area (acres): 883
Maximum Depth (ft): 56
Water Clarity (ft): 3.7 (3.5-3.75)
Dominant Bottom Substrate: N/A
Abundance of Aquatic Plants: N/A
Maximum Depth of Plant Growth (ft): N/A
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651-334-8312 steve vennemann
Fish Sampled for the 2007 Survey Year
Species Gear Used
Number of fish per net Average Fish Weight (lbs)
Normal Range (lbs)
Caught Normal Range
Black Crappie
Trap net 0.33 0.3 - 1.7 0.28 0.3 - 0.6
Gill net 2.14 0.2 - 1.1 0.51 0.2 - 0.5
Bluegill
Trap net 29.20 3.7 - 42.9 0.12 0.1 - 0.2
Gill net 3.71 N/A 0.17 N/A
Bowfin (dogfish) Trap net 1.20 0.3 - 1.1 4.99 3.9 - 5.1
Gill net 0.21 0.1 - 0.2 4.19 3.0 - 5.2
Brown Bullhead Trap net 0.27 0.3 - 1.7 1.05 0.7 - 1.1
Gill net 1.00 0.3 - 1.6 1.57 0.7 - 1.2
Hybrid Sunfish Trap net 2.47 N/A 0.20 N/A
Gill net 2.57 N/A 0.21 N/A
Largemouth Bass
Trap net 1.67 0.4 - 1.4 0.66 0.3 - 0.7
Species Number of fish caught in each category (inches)
0-5 6-8 9-11 12-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30+ Total
black crappie 6 16 12 1 0 0 0 0 35
bluegill 346 139 0 0 0 0 0 0 490
bowfin (dogfish) 0 0 0 0 1 13 7 0 21
brown bullhead 0 1 1 14 2 0 0 0 18
hybrid sunfish 39 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 73
largemouth bass 10 18 6 4 4 0 0 0 43
northern pike 0 0 1 6 98 77 10 2 194
pumpkinseed 26 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 42
rock bass 28 20 41 0 0 0 0 0 89
walleye 0 6 39 38 42 25 1 0 151
white sucker 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 5
yellow bullhead 0 1 32 37 0 0 0 0 70
yellow perch 11 19 1 0 0 0 0 0 33
Year Species Age Number
2007 Walleye
Fry 890,000
2006 Walleye
Fry 890,000
2005 Walleye
Fry 890,000
2004 Walleye
Fry 900,000
2003 Walleye
Fry 890,000
Fish Consumption Guidelines
These fish consumption guidelines help people make choices about which fish to eat and how often. Following the guidelines enables people to reduce their exposure to contaminants while still enjoying the many benefits from fish.
consulted.
Dioxin
Mercury
PCBS - Polychlorinated biphenyls
PFOS - Perfluorooctane sulfanate
Status of the Fishery (as of 07/30/2007)
Farm Island is a large, hardwater lake with good clarity and is located 7 miles south of Aitkin. It is 2,054 acres with a maximum depth of 56 feet. There are several islands on the lake, which also has a complex bottom structure. There are two state owned public accesses, with concrete ramps, on the lake. One is on the north side of the lake and the other on the south end. The one on the north side was recently completed in the fall of 2007.
The walleye population in Farm Island is looking good again this year. There is a strong 2002 year class that is just entering the 16 to 19 inch protected slot and two strong year classes, 2004 and 2005, coming up. The average length of the 2004 year class sampled in this survey was almost 14 inches so they should be showing up in the harvest as 14 and 15-inch walleye in 2008. Most of the fish from the strong 1999 year class will have now grown out of the protected slot. The males should be 19 to 20 inches long and the females up to 26 or 27 inches in length. Although there has been a modest increase of fish within the protected slot, it appears more fish are surviving to larger sizes. Whereas the mean gill net catch rate for walleye over 19 inches was 1.1 per net prior to the special regulation (ranging from 1.8 per net in 1970 trending down to 0.5 per net in 1991), it now averages 2.2 per net (ranging from 1.7 per net in 2000 to 2.6 per net in 2007).
Northern pike, while abundant, are still exhibiting normal growth rates. The average length is down slightly from that seen in the last few surveys, but there are still some large fish out there. While there are no special regulations in effect on northern pike in Farm Island, the lake association encourages anglers to harvest the smaller northern pike, while releasing fish greater than 24 inches in length.
For those anglers who are interested in catching panfish, Farm Island has abundant populations of black crappie and bluegill. There are two strong year classes of black crappie, the 2005 year class, which are 8 inches to 9 inches long, and the 2003 year class, which are about 11 inches long. There appears to have been very little changes to growth rates of either species in the last sixteen or more years. However, based on the trap net length frequency distribution and age distribution, it appears that most larger bluegill are being harvested before they have a chance to reach 8 inches, or age 7.
Anglers targeting largemouth bass will find a good population of fish with a wide range of sizes available.
Tullibee have been decreasing in abundance since the first survey nets were set in 1957; however, this was the first year that none were sampled in the assessment gill nets. Without tullibee in the fish community, it is feasible we will observe future decreases in growth rates for walleye and northern pike. ?
http://www.mnlakeplace.com
steve vennemann 651-334-8312
