Solunar Calendar · Updated 2026-07-06
Best Fishing Times for Horseshoe Lake
14-day solunar fishing calendar for Horseshoe Lake, Dakota County, Minnesota — sun and moon times calculated for lat 44.864, lon -93.087.
Horseshoe Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Minnesota lake of its size and depth. Secchi readings are the weakest of the three parameters, suggesting suspended sediment or algal biomass dominates the optical signal.
A TSI near 49 places Horseshoe Lake in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Among the 48 graded lakes in Dakota County, Horseshoe Lake ranks 6 — in the top quartile locally.
Full water-quality breakdown: Horseshoe Lake water-quality report.
Today at Horseshoe Lake
Sunrise 5:33 AM, sunset 9:00 PM. Moon is Last Quarter (58% illuminated). Day rating: ★★☆☆☆.
Major periods: 5:03 AM – 7:03 AM; 5:25 PM – 7:25 PM
Minor periods: 11:22 PM – 12:22 AM; 11:56 AM – 12:56 PM
14-Day Fishing Calendar
No 3.5+ star solunar days in the next 14 days at Horseshoe Lake — consider focusing on dawn and dusk windows.
| Date | Rating | Moon | Sunrise | Sunset | Major Periods | Minor Periods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jul 6 | ★★☆☆☆ | Last Quarter 58% lit | 5:33 AM | 9:00 PM | 5:03 AM – 7:03 AM 5:25 PM – 7:25 PM | 11:22 PM – 12:22 AM 11:56 AM – 12:56 PM |
| Tue, Jul 7 | ★½☆☆☆ | Last Quarter 47% lit | 5:34 AM | 9:00 PM | 5:47 AM – 7:47 AM | 11:41 PM – 12:41 AM 1:09 PM – 2:09 PM |
| Wed, Jul 8 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 37% lit | 5:34 AM | 9:00 PM | 6:11 PM – 8:11 PM 6:35 AM – 8:35 AM | 12:01 AM – 1:01 AM 2:24 PM – 3:24 PM |
| Thu, Jul 9 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 27% lit | 5:35 AM | 8:59 PM | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM 7:26 AM – 9:26 AM | 12:25 AM – 1:25 AM 3:44 PM – 4:44 PM |
| Fri, Jul 10 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 18% lit | 5:36 AM | 8:59 PM | 7:54 PM – 9:54 PM 8:23 AM – 10:23 AM | 12:56 AM – 1:56 AM 5:05 PM – 6:05 PM |
| Sat, Jul 11 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 11% lit | 5:37 AM | 8:58 PM | 8:54 PM – 10:54 PM 9:25 AM – 11:25 AM | 1:37 AM – 2:37 AM 6:22 PM – 7:22 PM |
| Sun, Jul 12 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 5% lit | 5:38 AM | 8:58 PM | 9:58 PM – 11:58 PM 10:31 AM – 12:31 PM | 2:32 AM – 3:32 AM |
| Mon, Jul 13 | ★½☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 1% lit | 5:38 AM | 8:57 PM | 11:04 PM – 1:04 AM 11:37 AM – 1:37 PM | 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM 3:41 AM – 4:41 AM |
| Tue, Jul 14 | ★★½☆☆ | New Moon 0% lit | 5:39 AM | 8:56 PM | 12:09 AM – 2:09 AM 12:41 PM – 2:41 PM | 8:24 PM – 9:24 PM 5:01 AM – 6:01 AM |
| Wed, Jul 15 | ★★☆☆☆ | New Moon 1% lit | 5:40 AM | 8:56 PM | 1:11 AM – 3:11 AM 1:39 PM – 3:39 PM | 9:05 PM – 10:05 PM 6:26 AM – 7:26 AM |
| Thu, Jul 16 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 4% lit | 5:41 AM | 8:55 PM | 2:07 AM – 4:07 AM 2:33 PM – 4:33 PM | 9:36 PM – 10:36 PM 7:49 AM – 8:49 AM |
| Fri, Jul 17 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 9% lit | 5:42 AM | 8:54 PM | 2:58 AM – 4:58 AM 3:22 PM – 5:22 PM | 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM 9:07 AM – 10:07 AM |
| Sat, Jul 18 | ★½☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 16% lit | 5:43 AM | 8:53 PM | 3:45 AM – 5:45 AM 4:08 PM – 6:08 PM | 10:21 PM – 11:21 PM 10:22 AM – 11:22 AM |
| Sun, Jul 19 | ★★½☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 25% lit | 5:44 AM | 8:52 PM | 4:30 AM – 6:30 AM 4:52 PM – 6:52 PM | 10:40 PM – 11:40 PM 11:33 AM – 12:33 PM |
Server-rendered 14-day calendar starting 2026-07-06. Live in your browser shortly.
How to Read This Calendar
Major periods (≈2 hours) are centered on lunar transit (when the moon is highest in the sky) and lunar opposition (when the moon is directly underfoot). These are typically the strongest feeding windows.
Minor periods (≈1 hour) are centered on moonrise and moonset. They're secondary windows that often produce well — especially when they coincide with sunrise or sunset.
Day rating combines moon phase (peak near new and full moons, when lunar gravity is strongest) with the overlap of major periods and the dawn/dusk twilight. A 4–5 star day stacks all three.
At Horseshoe Lake (lat 44.86°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with 15h 36m of daylight. The shortest is around December 21 with 8h 47m. Plan summer trips around the early-morning bite (around 5:30 AM) and the long evening window before sunset.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to fish Horseshoe Lake today?
Today's solunar calendar for Horseshoe Lake (lat 44.86, lon -93.09) shows sunrise at 5:33 AM and sunset at 9:00 PM. The strongest fishing windows are around major solunar periods at 5:03 AM–7:03 AM and 5:25 PM–7:25 PM, plus the 30-90 minutes around dawn and dusk.
What does the moon phase mean for fishing Horseshoe Lake?
Solunar theory holds that fish activity peaks during major periods (when the moon is overhead or directly underfoot) and minor periods (moonrise and moonset). Fish feeding tends to intensify during the days surrounding the new moon and full moon, when lunar gravity is strongest. Today's moon at Horseshoe Lake is Last Quarter (58% illuminated).
When are the longest and shortest days at Horseshoe Lake?
At Horseshoe Lake's latitude (44.86°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with about 15h 36m of daylight. The shortest day is around December 21 with about 8h 47m of daylight. Sunrise and sunset shift by roughly 6 hours between solstices.
Are major or minor solunar periods more important?
Major periods (about 2 hours, centered on lunar transit and lunar opposition) are generally considered the strongest feeding windows. Minor periods (about 1 hour, centered on moonrise and moonset) are secondary but still productive — especially when they overlap with sunrise or sunset.
More for Horseshoe Lake
Solunar calculations based on lat/lon and Meeus astronomical formulas. Times shown in Central Time. Solunar theory is a heuristic — fish activity also depends on weather, water temperature, barometric pressure, and recent forage conditions. Always check local regulations and conditions before fishing.