Horseshoe Lake
Horseshoe Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.1 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 8.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 79°F
- Max depth
- ~53 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Horseshoe Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Polk County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 53 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 54 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Horseshoe Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality 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.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 22.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 48.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 22.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 48 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Horseshoe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Horseshoe Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin — 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Horseshoe Lake
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Water Temperature
Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Mar (about 40°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Horseshoe Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~53 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wisconsin has not published bathymetry for Horseshoe Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Horseshoe LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Horseshoe Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.107 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -3.09 µg/L/yr | 7 |
EPA Impairment Status
Horseshoe Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10005047 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Horseshoe Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Greenwhey Energy IncVillage Of Turtle Lake · 3.3 mi away · NPDES WI0064947
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
County Ranking
Ranked #15 of 55 lakes in Polk County
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Horseshoe Lake
Where is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake is a lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.1 µg/L.
Is Horseshoe Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Horseshoe Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in August, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Horseshoe Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 53 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
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.
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX56 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory