Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 8, 1990
Horseshoe Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Horseshoe Lake average 4.83 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 8, 1990. In Cook County, Minnesota, Horseshoe Lake has no letter grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Water clarity averages 7.7 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 Horseshoe Lake
No stocking record for Horseshoe 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 Horseshoe Lake average 4.83 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 8, 1990.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Horseshoe Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. 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).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | 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, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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
Common questions
What fish are in Horseshoe Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Horseshoe Lake average 4.83 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 8, 1990. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Horseshoe Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Horseshoe Lake is dated August 8, 1990. 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 Horseshoe Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Horseshoe 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 Horseshoe 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 Horseshoe Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. 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.
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