Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 12, 1991
Horse Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Horse Lake average 4.15 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 12, 1991. In Lake County, Minnesota, Horse Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 7.0 feet of visibility. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Stocking at Horse Lake
No stocking record for Horse Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Horse Lake average 4.15 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 12, 1991.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Horse Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1991-06-12 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 5.41 | 2.13 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.23 | 0.33 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.15 | 3.09 lb |
| Rock Bass | 3.91 | 0.21 lb |
| Walleye | 3.82 | 1.5 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 3.30 | 0.29 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This is not a weekly bite report.
From the 1991-06-12 survey
Fish populations are dominated by white sucker and northern pike, followed by walleye, yellow perch and shorthead redhorse. Low numbers of cisco, bluegill, rock bass and smallmouth bass were also captured in this gillnet assessment. Cisco sizes ranged from 5 in the area. Size of other fish are average for the area.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Horse Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HorseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Horse Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Horse Lake average 4.15 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 12, 1991. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Horse Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Horse Lake is dated June 12, 1991. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Horse Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Horse Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Horse Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Horse Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class — a lake can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Horse Lake
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