Dead Horse Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota105 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Dead Horse Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Dead Horse Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 105.28 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2014 caught 21.00 northern pike per gill net at Dead Horse Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–26 inches. DNR survey details →
Dead Horse Lake is a 105-acre mesotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 30 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Dead Horse Lake ranks #40 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Dead Horse Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water9.8 ft of visibility
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water30 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Dead Horse 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 Dead Horse Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Dead Horse Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Dead Horse Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Dead Horse Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 73°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 57 field readings (2021–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Dead Horse Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2014 caught 21.00 northern pike per gill net at Dead Horse Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dead Horse 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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2014-07-22 (Targeted Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2014-07-22 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 33.51 | 3–9 in 2014-07-22 | 0.24 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 14.78 | 7–9 in 2014-07-22 | 0.21 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.53 | 12–26 in 2014-07-22 | 2.73 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 3.95 | 12 in 2014-07-22 | 1.37 lb |
| Walleye | 2.69 | 15–16 in 2009-06-29 | 2.87 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.44 | 5–6 in 2014-07-22 | 0.21 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Largemouth Bass
From the 2014-07-22 survey
Dead Horse Lake is located about four miles southwest of Marcel, MN in the Bigfork River watershed. Dead Horse has a total surface area of 97 acres, a littoral area of 54 acres (56%), and a maximum depth of 30 feet. There is no connectivity to facilitate fish passage. The small outlet drains to a wetland which the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Dead Horse Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Dead HorseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Dead Horse (0734)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Dead HorsePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
30 ft
Surface area
105 acres
Shoreline
1.9 mi
Littoral zone
51%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Dead Horse Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Dead Horse Lake
Where is Dead Horse Lake?
- Dead Horse Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Dead Horse Lake?
- Dead Horse Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 30 ft. Surface area: 105.28 acres.
Is Dead Horse Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Dead Horse Lake?
- Dead Horse Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in September, from 57 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Dead Horse Lake?
- Dead Horse Lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet. The lake covers 105.28 acres.
What fish are in Dead Horse Lake?
- Fish species found in Dead Horse Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch. Dead Horse Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Dead Horse Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2014 caught 21.00 northern pike per gill net at Dead Horse Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–26 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dead Horse 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.
Can I fish at Dead Horse Lake?
- Public access to Dead Horse Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
47 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA47 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder