Horseshoe Lake

Horseshoe Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. At 54 ft of maximum depth, Horseshoe Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 21 acres, Horseshoe Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Horseshoe Lake sits at rank 12 of 18 in Manitowoc County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Horseshoe Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 4, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.