Farm Lake

How big is Farm Lake?

How deep is Farm Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Farm Lake?

What are the closest cities to Farm Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Farm Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Farm Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Farm Lake East

Farm Lake West

Are there boat launches on Farm Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Farm Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Farm Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Farm Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

Farm Lake is a 1,328 acre lake located about two miles east of Winton, MN. Farm, along with Garden and South Farm Lakes make up the Garden Lake Reservoir. There is a dam located at the outlet of Garden Lake that discharges into Fall Lake. This dam, owned by Minnesota Power, impounds the reservoir and is used to generate hydropower. The lakes of the Garden Lake Reservoir are managed primarily for their walleye and northern pike fisheries. A population assessment was conducted on Farm Lake during the summer of 2012 to determine the status of the fish community, the effectiveness of walleye fingerling stocking (1.0 lb/littoral acre biennially)and protected length limit (protected length limit of 17-26" with one over 26" in possession) and the impacts of a northern pike special regulation (protected length limit of 24-36" with one over 36" in possession). Walleye made up 42% of the 2012 Farm Lake gill-net catch by number and 51% by weight. Abundance in the gill-net catch (10.0/net) was the highest ever recorded for Farm Lake. Abundance was above average for lakes in the same classification as Farm. Walleye lengths in the catch ranged from 7.1 to 25.0 inches with an average of 12.6 inches. Seventy percent of the catch was from years in which fingerling stocking occurred. Growth of Farm Lake walleye was slow. Because the Garden Lake Reservoir is an open system, fingerling stocking was evaluated concurrently for all three lakes. The results of the evaluation showed that walleye cohorts from years that were fingerling stocked contributed approximately 50% more to assessment catches than those cohorts from years in which no stocking occurred. A special regulation was implemented for walleye in 2006 on the Garden Lake Reservoir requiring the immediate release of fish between 17 and 26 inches. One walleye over 26 inches is allowed in possession. The two assessments that have occurred since 2006 indicate that this regulation has met the goal of increasing abundance of walleye greater than 17 inches. The average gill-net catch of walleye greater than 17 inches from 2008-2012 was 0.93/net. The 1991-2004 average was 0.30. The number of walleye over 17 inches has tripled while the number over 24 inches has doubled since the regulation was put in place. Northern pike gill-net abundance in Farm Lake in 2012 (1.0/net) was approximately equal to the historic average since 1965. Pike abundance in Farm Lake has typically been below average compared to other lakes in the same classification. Pike sampled during the assessment ranged from 14.4 to 33.7 inches with a mean of 23.9 inches. The average weight for all pike caught during the 2012 assessment (3.9 lbs) was above average for lakes in the same classification. Evaluation of the northern pike length regulation also included all the lakes of the reservoir. The special regulation on pike went into effect in 2003 and requires the immediate release of pike between 24 and 36 inches with one over 36 inches allowed in possession. The goal of the northern pike regulation was to increase the overall abundance of northern pike in the reservoir and specifically to increase the abundance of pike over 24 inches. The evaluation indicated that the special regulation appears to have attained its goal. The catch rate of pike over 24 inches increased from 0.38/net in 1991-1999 compared to 0.86/net in 2004-2012. The cisco gill-net abundance in 2012 (4.9/net) was below the historic average for Farm Lake. Generally, cisco abundance in Farm Lake has been decreasing. The average gill-net abundance from 1965-1986 was 20.9/net however, from 1988-2012 it was 6.4/net. Declining cisco abundance in Area lakes is not uncommon and may be related to increases in predator populations, rainbow smelt invasions or loss of habitat. The bluegill trap-net abundance in 2012 (3.7/net) was equal to the historic average for Farm Lake but was well below the average abundance since 1994. The bluegill catch was dominated by small, presumably two year old fish. Lengths ranged from 3.1 to 8.9 inches with an average of 4.8 inches. The historic average length is 6.8 inches. Two year olds made up 68% of the total bluegill catch. Bluegill growth in Garden Lake was average. Other species present during the 2012 survey included black crappie, rock bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and white sucker. Twenty-six rusty crayfish, a non-native species, were also captured during the assessment. Rusty crayfish have had significant negative impacts on fish habitat in other Area lakes where they are present.

What is the average air temp for Farm Lake?

Are there any state parks near Farm Lake?