Horseshoe Lake
Horseshoe Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 56 ft. Surface area: 922.03 acres.
- Clarity
- 14.4 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- 56 ft
- Area
- 922 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 26
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Horseshoe Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Horseshoe Lake is a 922-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 56 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Horseshoe Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Horseshoe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Horseshoe Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
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Water Temperature
Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. 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.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 140 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Horseshoe Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 56 ft |
| Surface Area | 922 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 7.6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 57% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Horseshoe LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Horseshoe Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-08-08 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| BMS | 105.53 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 40.83 | — |
| Bluegill | 31.06 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 27.11 | 0.6 lb |
| BCS | 11.76 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.90 | 0.95 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Yellow Bass
Largemouth Bass
From the 2022-08-08 survey
Walleye were last stocked in 2010 and most of the fish caught appear to be from that stocking. While it may appear that Walleye numbers were low at 0.8/gill net, it is average for this type of lake. Average length was 24.0" and all the fish were over 20" in length. Northern Pike numbers were above average for the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Horseshoe Lake. 4 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 (0443)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HorseshoeFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HorseshoePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.171 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.63 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.11 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (5 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 1983-04-14 (1983) | 2013-05-11 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-13 (2018) | 2018-11-13 (2018) |
Most recent ice-out: 2019-04-21
EPA Impairment Status
Horseshoe Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0251-01 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.47 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #8 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Horseshoe Lake
What is the water quality grade for Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 56 ft. Surface area: 922.03 acres.
Is Horseshoe Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Horseshoe Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 140 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake has a maximum depth of 56 feet. The lake covers 922.03 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, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Horseshoe Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Horseshoe Lake thaw?
- Horseshoe Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 26.
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.
Explore Horseshoe Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
254 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
MNPCA254 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
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