Minnesota · Hubbard County
Garfield Lake Fishing guide
Garfield Lake covers 972 acres in Hubbard County, Minnesota, reaching 32 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 16 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 14 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Excellent numbers7.2per gill net15"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 90 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 90 fish
2025Lengths measured · 87 fish
2020Lengths measured · 73 fish
2015Lengths measured · 92 fish
2010Largemouth bassJust a few2.9per hr (electrofishing)15"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 24 fish
2025Lengths measured · 3 fish
2022Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 17 fish
2020Lengths measured · 13 fish
2015Northern pikeOne of the best around28.7per gill net19"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 378 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 361 fish
2025Lengths measured · 17 fish
2022Lengths measured · 487 fish
2020Lengths measured · 286 fish
2015BluegillJust a few6.7per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 515 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 427 fish
2025Lengths measured · 88 fish
2022Lengths measured · 148 fish
2020Lengths measured · 136 fish
2015Yellow perchFair numbers2.7per gill net5"Typical6"Biggest
Lengths measured · 34 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 32 fish
2025Lengths measured · 2 fish
2022Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 292 fish
2020Lengths measured · 182 fish
2015Rock bassElite fishery26.2per hr (electrofishing)8"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 69 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 56 fish
2025Lengths measured · 13 fish
2022Lengths measured · 44 fish
2020Lengths measured · 54 fish
2015Rates 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 Garfield Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 16 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 16 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26" | 28" | 19" |
| 2022 | — | 23" | 18" |
| 2020 | 23" | 33" | 18" |
| 2015 | 23" | 29" | 16" |
| 2010 | 24" | 27" | 18" |
| 2005 | 26" | 32" | 17" |
| 2000 | 28" | 29" | 17" |
| 1995 | 27" | 38" | 19" |
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
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 528,525 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 525,915 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 527,240 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 526,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Garfield Lake (DOW # 29-0061-00) is located adjacent to the town of Laporte, in northeastern Hubbard County. Garfield Lake has a surface area of 960 acres and a maximum depth of 32 feet. There is a city-owned public access located on the southwest shore of the lake. Garfield is a popular lake for Walleye and Northern Pike fishing but also provides angling opportunities for panfish and Largemouth Bass.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Garfield Lake is in Lake Class 27. Lake Class 27 lakes are generally large, deep, hardwater lakes, with very regularly shaped shorelines. Other Lake Class 27 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include: Fish Hook, Lake George, and Upper Bottle.
Read the full DNR narrative
Present and past surveys have shown a Walleye population in Garfield consistently near or above management goals, with their abundance fluctuating near the upper end of the range for this Lake Class. Half of Walleyes sampled were in the 14-18-inch size range. Sampled Walleye had an average length and weight of 16.6 inches and 1.59 pounds, with fish measured up to 26.9 inches. Yellow Perch, an important forage species for Walleye were sampled in low numbers and most were small, with few fish of an acceptable size for angling.
Garfield Lake supports an abundant Northern Pike population. Anglers will find lots of small Northern Pike, with sampled fish having an average length and weight of 19.0 inches and 1.31 pounds, and fish measured up to 28.2 inches. The number of large Northern Pike (>28 inches) was low when compared to other area lakes.
Garfield Lake is probably known more for "quality" than "quantity" when it comes to its panfish and Largemouth Bass populations. Bluegill abundance has fluctuated from low to moderate abundance in recent surveys for this lake class. Most of the Bluegill and Pumpkinseed sampled were in the 6-8-inch size range, with fish up to 9.4 inches sampled. Black Crappie were sampled in low numbers, similar to past surveys. Anglers could find Black Crappie in the 10-12-inch size range.
Largemouth Bass were sampled in low numbers for this Lake Class. Largemouth Bass sampled had an average length and weight of 14.6 inches and 1.88 pounds, with fish sampled up to 19.4 inches.
Currently starry stonewort, curly-leaf pondweed and zebra mussels are the only aquatic invasive species (AIS) that have been identified in Garfield Lake. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Garfield Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Garfield 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
- Garfield Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Garfield Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Horseshoe Lake · 264 ac · 3.5 mi
- Kabekona Lake · 2,433 ac · 3.9 mi
- Hart Lake · 226 ac · 4.7 mi
- Steamboat Lake · 1,756 ac · 4.9 mi
- Lester Lake · 72 ac · 5.4 mi
- Twenty-One Lake · 36 ac · 6.2 mi
- Benedict Lake · 464 ac · 6.3 mi
- Nelson Lake · 40 ac · 6.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Garfield Lake?
Garfield Lake reaches 32 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 15 ft; about 54% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Garfield Lake?
Garfield Lake covers 972 acres with about 6.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Garfield Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Garfield Lake average 16 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Garfield Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Garfield Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Garfield Lake have a public access?
Yes. Garfield Lake has one public access site: Garfield Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Garfield Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Garfield Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Garfield Lake in 2025, the most recent of 14 surveys on record.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Garfield Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Garfield Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report