Cedar Island Lake vs Horseshoe Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Cedar Island Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Horseshoe Lake. Both are in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Cedar Island Lake and Horseshoe Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The readings are close: Cedar Island Lake and Horseshoe Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Cedar Island Lake
Murky, only visible to about 3.5 ft.
Horseshoe Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Cedar Island Lake | Horseshoe Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 3.5 ft | 4 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 63.5 µg/L Better | 120 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 44 µg/L Better | 44.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 75 ft Better | 57 ft |
| Surface Area | 986 acres | 629 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 22 | 25 Better |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Cedar Island Lake and Horseshoe Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Cedar Island Lake: 3.5 ft, Horseshoe Lake: 4 ft) and what you want from the lake. Cedar Island Lake has fewer fish species than Horseshoe Lake.
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Where to stay near Cedar Island Lake and Horseshoe Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Cedar Island Lake and Horseshoe Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Cedar Island Lake and Horseshoe Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.