Garden Lake

How big is Garden Lake?

How deep is Garden Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Garden Lake?

What are the closest cities to Garden Lake?

Are there boat launches on Garden Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Garden Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Garden Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Garden 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?

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.

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.

What is the average air temp for Garden Lake?

Are there any state parks near Garden Lake?