Horseshoe Lake
Cass County, Minnesota260 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Horseshoe Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 51 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Horseshoe Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 51 ft. Surface area: 260.32 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 4.33 walleye per gill net at Horseshoe Lake. DNR survey details →
Horseshoe Lake is a 260-acre lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 51 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Horseshoe Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water21 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Deep water51 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Horseshoe 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 Horseshoe Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Horseshoe Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 21 ft down. TSI 33.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 21ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 33 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Horseshoe Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Horseshoe Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Horseshoe Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (114,815 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 4.33 walleye per gill net at Horseshoe Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Horseshoe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-05 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-05 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 56.96 | ||
| Bluegill | 16.65 | 2–9 in 2024-08-05 | 0.16 lb |
| Rock Bass | 15.66 | 3–8 in 2024-08-05 | 0.21 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 13.03 | 6–7 in 2024-08-05 | 0.17 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
Rock Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-08-05 survey
Horseshoe Lake is a 260-acre lake with 3.84 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 51 feet located east of Backus, MN. There is a MNDNR owned public access on the south shore. Horseshoe Lake is primarily managed for Bluegill, Black Crappie, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and Walleye and secondarily for Yellow…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Horseshoe Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HorseshoeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Horseshoe (1525)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HorseshoePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
51 ft
Surface area
260 acres
Shoreline
3.8 mi
Littoral zone
31%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,325 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Horseshoe LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Horseshoe Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Horseshoe Lake
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Follow Horseshoe Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Horseshoe Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Apr 11, 2015 · Latest May 5, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 22
Earliest Nov 15, 2014 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 24
2019
7 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Horseshoe Lake
Where is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 51 ft. Surface area: 260.32 acres.
Is Horseshoe 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 Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake has a maximum depth of 51 feet. The lake covers 260.32 acres.
What fish are in Horseshoe Lake?
- Fish species found in Horseshoe Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Horseshoe Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Horseshoe Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 4.33 walleye per gill net at Horseshoe Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Horseshoe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Horseshoe Lake thaw?
- Horseshoe Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21. Ice typically forms around Nov 22. The open water season is approximately 215 days.
Does Horseshoe Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Horseshoe Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (114,815 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Horseshoe Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.
Explore Horseshoe Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
100 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA100 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate