Garfield Lake

Garfield Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Minnesota lake of its size and depth. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Minnesota lakes fall. A maximum depth of 32 ft puts Garfield Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. At 972 acres, Garfield Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 6.7 miles of shoreline. Garfield Lake sits at rank 56 of 77 in Hubbard County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Zebra mussel presence at Garfield Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. Walleye are documented at Garfield Lake, one of 12 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Garfield Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Ice-out has been recorded 12 times at Garfield Lake, with a median around Apr 27. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.