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 five miles east of Ely, covers 1,292 acres, and is one of three connected water bodies, including South Farm and Garden Lakes, that 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 on the west side of the lake off CR 16 (Kawishiwi Trail). Farm Lake can also be accessed by boat from both Garden and White Iron Lakes and serves as the access to South Farm Lake. A hydroelectric dam at the outlet of Garden Lake affects water levels seasonally on Farm 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 measured water quality. Farm Lake was thermally stratified, with a surface temperature of 67 F and a temperature of 47 F at 27 feet. Adequate oxygen levels for gamefish were present to a depth of about 21 feet. Farm Lake has brown, bog-stained water with visibility around 7 feet.

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 right at the historic median for the lake. Walleye were 14.2 inches long on average and only 28% of the fish sampled were over 14.0 inches.

Some fish were also caught in trap nets and they were about the same size as the gill-netted fish, at 14.8 inches on average. Large walleye are present in this lake, with three fish over 28 inches sampled in 2023. Walleye ages ranged from 1 to 16 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 slightly higher rates than the historic median for Farm Lake. Northern pike were 25.4 inches long on average, which was close to the historical average. The largest pike was 39.1 inches long. Some pike were also caught in trap nets. These fish tended to be smaller, averaging 21.2 inches.

Bluegill were caught about the same rate as have historically been sampled in the lake. Bluegill were 7.1 inches long on average and they displayed some of the fastest growth compared to other bluegill populations in the Tower area. The largest bluegill sampled was 9.1 inches in length, and ages ranged from 2 to 8.

Black crappie were caught about the same rate as have historically been sampled in the lake. Black crappie averaged 9.5 inches in length. The largest black crappie sampled was 12.8 inches long, and ages ranged from 2 to 10.

Additional species sampled in 2023 included brown bullhead, burbot, cisco, rock bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker, and yellow perch.

What is the average air temp for Farm Lake?

Are there any state parks near Farm Lake?