Garden Lake
Lake County, Minnesota653 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Garden Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 55 ft max depth
- Public access
Garden Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 653.33 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 4.11 walleye per gill net at Garden Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–30 inches. DNR survey details →
Garden Lake is a 653-acre mesotrophic lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 55 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and burbot. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 34 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Garden Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Garden Lake covers about 650 acres in Lake County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 26, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Garden Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Garden Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 26
- Deep water55 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Garden Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Garden Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Garden Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Garden Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.4 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Garden Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Garden Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 64°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 66°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (66°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 507 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Garden Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 4.11 walleye per gill net at Garden Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–30 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Garden Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-17 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-17 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 3.76 | 7–14 in 2017-08-14 | 0.42 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.92 | 5–11 in 2023-07-17 | 0.16 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.89 | 6–21 in 2023-07-17 | 2.24 lb |
| Walleye | 1.78 | 3–30 in 2023-07-17 | 0.96 lb |
| Bluegill | 1.50 | 3–9 in 2023-07-17 | 0.4 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Yellow Perch
White Sucker
Walleye
From the 2023-07-17 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…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Garden Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GardenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Garden (1888)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GardenFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GardenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
55 ft
Surface area
653 acres
Shoreline
17.3 mi
Littoral zone
37%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Garden LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Garden Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Garden Lake in Lake County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Garden Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Garden Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.84 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.01 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 26
Earliest Apr 11, 2017 · Latest May 7, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 25
Earliest Nov 8, 2003 · Latest Dec 7, 2001
Most recent ice-out
May 1
2025
29 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Garden Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0782-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Garden Lake
Where is Garden Lake?
- Garden Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Garden Lake?
- Garden Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 653.33 acres.
Is Garden Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Garden Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Garden Lake?
- Garden Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 507 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Garden Lake?
- Garden Lake has a maximum depth of 55 feet. The lake covers 653.33 acres.
What fish are in Garden Lake?
- Fish species found in Garden Lake include black crappie, bluegill, burbot, cisco species, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Garden Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Garden Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 4.11 walleye per gill net at Garden Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–30 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Garden Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Garden Lake thaw?
- Garden Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 26. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 213 days.
Are there boat ramps on Garden Lake?
- Garden Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Garden Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Garden Lake?
- Garden Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Garden Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Lake County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Garden Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Garden Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
104 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA104 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate