Horseshoe Lake
Cook County, Minnesota188 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Horseshoe Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 26 ft max depth
- Limited data
Horseshoe Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 188.43 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 4.83 walleye per gill net at Horseshoe Lake. DNR survey details →
Horseshoe Lake is a 188-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-06-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.7 ft. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.7ft | 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. | 48 | 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 August 8, 1990 caught 4.83 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. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-08-08 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1990-08-08 (Standard Survey)
36 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 13.17 | 2.05 lb | |
| Walleye | 4.83 | 1.23 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 4.33 | 0.09 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.83 | 0.03 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 1.67 | 1.12 lb | |
| Smallmouth Bass | 0.33 | 0.66 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.
From the 1990-08-08 survey
WALLEYE ABUNDANCE WAS GOOD, WITH MOST OF THE FISH COLLECTED IN THE 12-16 RANGE. A WIDE RANGE OF YEAR CLASSES WERE REPRESENTED, BUT NO AGE II WALLEYES WERE COLLECTED. THE 1986 AND 1987 YEAR CLASSES EACH COMPRISED 34% OF THE WALLEYE COLLECT- ED. WALLEYE GROWTH WAS AVERAGE FOR COOK COUNTY. NORTHERN PIKE ABUNDANCE WAS LOW…
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
26 ft
Surface area
188 acres
Shoreline
10.4 mi
Littoral zone
99%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
36 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,850 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Horseshoe Lake
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Fishing Horseshoe Lake
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Horseshoe Lake
Where is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake is a lake in Cook 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 Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 188.43 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 26 feet. The lake covers 188.43 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Horseshoe Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 8, 1990 caught 4.83 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. 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 no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA2 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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