Lake

Garden Lake

Bayfield, Wisconsin

Garden Lake is a 558-acre lake in Bayfield County near Cable, with a maximum depth of 23 feet. WDNR lists walleye as abundant, panfish, smallmouth bass and northern pike as common, and musky and largemouth bass as present.

Air temp in Cable, WI Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Garden Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area558 acres

Max depth23 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Walleye●●●●○

Listed as abundant by WDNR

Northern Pike●●●○○

Listed as common by WDNR

Smallmouth Bass●●●○○

Listed as common by WDNR

Bluegill●●●○○

Panfish listed as common

Crappie●●●○○

Panfish listed as common

Muskellunge●●○○○

Listed as present by WDNR

Largemouth Bass●●○○○

Listed as present by WDNR

Boat launches

2 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Garden Lake public boat landingPublic
WDNR lists 1 public landingDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See the WDNR lake page for all landingsDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Walleye May 2, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	15 in (no 20-24 in; 1 over 24 in)	3 / day
Largemouth Bass May 2-June 19, 2026	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	5 / day
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass June 20, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	5 / day (only 1 smallmouth, 18 in+)
Smallmouth Bass May 2-June 19, 2026; catch and release only	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	0 / day
Northern Pike May 2, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	5 / day
Muskellunge May 2-Dec 31, 2026; open water only	40 in	1 / day
Panfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	25 / day
Catfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	10 / day
Lake Sturgeon Closed; no fishing allowed	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	0 / day

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Wisconsin DNR ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Wisconsin DNR before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Echo Hill Bait & TackleNearby
County Road H, Iron River, WI 54847(715) 372-4648 Directions ↗
Southside Bait & TackleNearby
Iron River, WI(715) 372-5943 Directions ↗
Bait ShackNearby
Washburn, WI(715) 373-2380 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Garden Lake ↗

Local tips

Walleye relate to rock and sand transitions
Smallmouth hold on rocky points
Check WDNR regulations before keeping fish

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.

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Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.