Minnesota · Lake County
Garden Lake Fishing guide
Garden Lake sits in Lake County, Minnesota, and covers 653 acres, reaching 55 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2023Good numbers4.1per gill net12"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 43 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 43 fish
2023Lengths measured · 28 fish
2017Lengths measured · 33 fish
2012Lengths measured · 21 fish
2008No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeJust a few1.7per gill net19"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 33 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 33 fish
2023Lengths measured · 14 fish
2017Lengths measured · 22 fish
2012Lengths measured · 29 fish
2008BluegillJust a few3.9per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 31 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 31 fish
2023Lengths measured · 1 fish
2017Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 23 fish
2012Lengths measured · 21 fish
2008Yellow perchFair numbers3.4per gill net6"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 40 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 40 fish
2023Lengths measured · 34 fish
2017Lengths measured · 42 fish
2012Lengths measured · 40 fish
2008Rock bassGood numbers1.1per trap net8"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 10 fish
2023Lengths measured · 4 fish
2017Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 17 fish
2012Lengths measured · 19 fish
2008Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Garden Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 55 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. On a lake that drops to 55 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Walleye | Smallmouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 30" | 8" | 31" |
| 2017 | 26" | — | 30" |
| 2012 | 17" | 11" | 31" |
| 2008 | 28" | — | 37" |
| 2004 | 26" | 16" | 35" |
| 1999 | 17" | — | 38" |
| 1994 | 22" | 2" | 40" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye | 3,480 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 4,065 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 7,699 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 6,214 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Garden Lake is five miles east of Ely, covers 653 acres, and is one of three connected lakes that with Farm and South Farm comprise the Garden Reservoir. This system is also connected to White Iron Lake via the South Kawishiwi River. A public access with a concrete plank boat ramp is located near the northwest corner of the lake off CR 18 (Fernberg Road). Garden Lake can also be accessed by boat from Farm Lake. A hydroelectric dam at the outlet of Garden Lake affects water levels seasonally on Garden Lake and the other connected lakes.
The 2020 lake management plan for the Garden Reservoir lakes listed walleye and northern pike as the primary management species and the plan also listed bluegill, smallmouth bass, and black crappie as capable of providing quality fishing. A standard survey was conducted in mid-summer 2023 to assess the populations of these species and to monitor lake quality and habitat. The survey crew sampled fish with gill nets and trap nets, and they measured water quality. Garden Lake was thermally stratified, with a surface temperature of 71 F and a temperature of 52 F at 50 feet. Adequate oxygen levels for gamefish were present to a depth of about 15 feet. Garden Lake has brown, bog-stained water with visibility around 6 feet.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye harvest by anglers on the Garden Reservoir chain is restricted with a special regulation that requires releasing all fish from 17 to 26 inches, with only one fish over 26 inches allowed in a 6-fish limit. This regulation has been in place since 2006 with the goal of maintaining overall catch rates while increasing the number of fish over 17 inches and applies to all the connected lakes mentioned above. The gill-net catch for walleye was higher than the historic median for the lake. Walleye tended to run small, averaging just 12.8 inches long and only 27% of the fish sampled were over 14.0 inches. The largest walleye was almost 31 inches. Six additional walleye were also sampled in trap nets with a larger average size of 14.2 inches. Walleye ages ranged from 0 to 12 and indicated natural reproduction is occurring in the system.
Northern pike (pike) harvest by anglers on the Garden Reservoir chain is restricted with a special regulation that requires releasing all fish from 24 to 36 inches, with only one pike over 36 inches allowed in a 3-fish limit. This regulation, which applies to all the connected lakes mentioned above, has been in place since 2003 with the goal of maintaining the overall catch rate and increasing the abundance of pike over 24 inches. Northern pike were caught at a slightly higher rate than the historic median for Garden Lake. Northern pike were 21.6 inches on average, which was smaller than the historical average for the lake. Additional northern pike were sampled in trap nets at a rate of 2.3 fish/trap net. These fish tended to be smaller, averaging 18.8 inches.
Bluegill were caught at rates that were above average for Garden Lake. Plus, the fish were 7 inches on average and displayed some of the fastest growth compared to other bluegill populations in the Tower area. The largest bluegill sampled was 9.4 inches in length, and ages ranged from 2 to 10.
Black crappie were caught at a lower-than-normal rate for Garden Lake. Black crappie averaged 11.2 inches in length. The largest black crappie sampled was 12.8 inches long, and ages ranged from 3 to 9.
Additional species sampled in 2023 included burbot, cisco, rock bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Garden Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Garden Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Garden Lake (trailer launch)
- Garden Lake Shore Fishing Site (shore fishing)
DNR bathymetry
Garden Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Farm Lake · 1,292 ac · 1.4 mi
- Fall Lake · 2,259 ac · 2 mi
- Stub Lake · 89 ac · 2.5 mi
- Browns Lake · 219 ac · 2.9 mi
- South Farm Lake · 564 ac · 3.1 mi
- Cedar Lake · 465 ac · 3.3 mi
- Pickerel Lake · 182 ac · 3.6 mi
- White Iron Lake · 3,238 ac · 4.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Garden Lake?
Garden Lake reaches 55 ft at its deepest point; about 37% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Garden Lake?
Garden Lake covers 653 acres with about 17.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Garden Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Garden Lake average 5.5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Garden Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Garden Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2023; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Garden Lake have a public access?
Yes. Garden Lake has 2 public access sites, including Garden Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Garden Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Garden Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Garden Lake in 2023, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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