Horseshoe Lake
Cass County, Minnesota127 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Horseshoe Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 12 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: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 127.36 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2014 caught 6.67 northern pike per gill net at Horseshoe Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–35 inches. DNR survey details →
Horseshoe Lake is a 127-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 12 feet (7-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Horseshoe Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-10-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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 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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.9 ft. Phosphorus 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Horseshoe Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2014 caught 6.67 northern pike per gill net at Horseshoe Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–35 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Horseshoe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2014-06-16 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2014-06-16 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkinseed | 22.01 | 3–10 in 2014-06-16 | 0.25 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 16.70 | 5–10 in 2014-06-16 | 0.22 lb |
| Bluegill | 11.17 | 3–9 in 2014-06-16 | 0.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 8.43 | 11–35 in 2014-06-16 | 1.92 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.98 | 9–15 in 2014-06-16 | 0.89 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.25 | 4–11 in 2014-06-16 | 0.28 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.
Pumpkinseed
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Northern Pike
From the 2014-06-16 survey
Horseshoe Lake (DOW# 11-0284; Lake Class 37) is a 127-acre lake located near Whipholt, MN. There is a US Forest Service-owned carry-in public access on the north shore off of State Highway 200. Horseshoe Lake has 3.27 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 12 feet. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Horseshoe Lake. 1 report 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
Lake Details
Max depth
12 ft
Average depth
7.3 ft
Surface area
127 acres
Shoreline
3.3 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,332 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Horseshoe Lake
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Fishing Horseshoe Lake
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: 8.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 127.36 acres.
Is Horseshoe Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet and an average depth of 7.3 feet. The lake covers 127.36 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Horseshoe Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2014 caught 6.67 northern pike per gill net at Horseshoe Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–35 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Horseshoe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Horseshoe Lake?
- Public access to Horseshoe 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
69 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX69 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- 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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder