Garfield

Garfield Lake (DOW # 29-0061-00) is located adjacent to the town of Laporte, in northeastern Hubbard County. Garfield Lake has a surface area of 960 acres and a maximum depth of 32 feet. There is a city-owned public access located on the southwest shore of the lake. Garfield is a popular lake for Walleye and Northern Pike fishing but also provides angling opportunities for panfish and Largemouth Bass. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Garfield Lake is in Lake Class 27. Lake Class 27 lakes are generally large, deep, hardwater lakes, with very regularly shaped shorelines. Other Lake Class 27 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include: Fish Hook, Lake George, and Upper Bottle. Present and past surveys have shown a Walleye population in Garfield consistently near or above management goals, with their abundance fluctuating near the upper end of the range for this Lake Class. Half of Walleyes sampled were in the 14-18-inch size range. Sampled Walleye had an average length and weight of 16.6 inches and 1.59 pounds, with fish measured up to 26.9 inches. Yellow Perch, an important forage species for Walleye were sampled in low numbers and most were small, with few fish of an acceptable size for angling. Garfield Lake supports an abundant Northern Pike population. Anglers will find lots of small Northern Pike, with sampled fish having an average length and weight of 19.0 inches and 1.31 pounds, and fish measured up to 28.2 inches. The number of large Northern Pike (>28 inches) was low when compared to other area lakes. Garfield Lake is probably known more for "quality" than "quantity" when it comes to its panfish and Largemouth Bass populations. Bluegill abundance has fluctuated from low to moderate abundance in recent surveys for this lake class. Most of the Bluegill and Pumpkinseed sampled were in the 6-8-inch size range, with fish up to 9.4 inches sampled. Black Crappie were sampled in low numbers, similar to past surveys. Anglers could find Black Crappie in the 10-12-inch size range. Largemouth Bass were sampled in low numbers for this Lake Class. Largemouth Bass sampled had an average length and weight of 14.6 inches and 1.88 pounds, with fish sampled up to 19.4 inches. Currently starry stonewort, curly-leaf pondweed and zebra mussels are the only aquatic invasive species (AIS) that have been identified in Garfield Lake. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access.

A targeted survey of the nearshore and littoral fish community in Garfield Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff from 27-29 June 2022. Fourteen sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 14 sites with three sites sampled from the boat due to dense waterlilies, wild rice, and cattails preventing access to wadeable water. A 50-foot seine was used to sample four sites, a 15-foot seine was used at five sites, and soft sediments with abundant vegetation and deep water prevented the use of seines at five sampling sites. Nearshore sampling captured 17 native species of fish including five species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Mimic Shiner, and Rock Bass) and one species, Fathead Minnow, that is tolerant of disturbance. A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted on 27-29 June 2022 by IBI Program Staff. Twelve trap nets were set along the shoreline that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill and Bowfin comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Bowfin comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was just greater than the 25% quartile for similar Lake Class 27 lakes and the average length was 6.2 inches, with 36% over 7 inches. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a July 2020 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey indicate the fish community of Garfield Lake is affected by disturbance as indicated by an FIBI score very near to the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Leech Lake River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Garfield Lake (29-0061-00) is a 959.62-acre lake with a maximum depth of 32 feet located next to Laporte, MN. Park Rapids Fisheries staff conducted a survey targeting near shore fish species on July 30, 2020 to assess populations of non-game and small sport fish. Fourteen 100-foot sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake shore, sampling a variety of habitat types. Each site was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot 1/8th-inch mesh seine, depending on habitat conditions. During this assessment, two sites were sampled with a 50-foot seine and four sites were sampled with a 15-foot seine. Site conditions prevented the use of seines at eight sites. Backpack electrofishing was done at all 14 sites, several of which were conducted from the side of the boat. Nearshore sampling captured ten species of fish including two species intolerant of disturbance; Banded Killifish, and Blackchin Shiner. Other species sampled during the nearshore effort included Bluegill, Bluntnose Minnow, Golden Shiner, Johnny Darter, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Perch. Nearshore catches will be used along with gill net and trap net catch data from a standard fisheries survey conducted on July 6, 2020, to calculate a fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score, which is indicative of the health of Garfield Lake. This survey is contributing to a watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. Garfield Lake is located in the Leech Lake River Watershed.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Rock Bass, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie in Garfield. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Garfield. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Garfield has a maximum depth of 32 feet and a mean depth of 15 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Garfield is from 2025.

Yes — Garfield has confirmed starry stonewort and zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.