Horseshoe Lake
Horseshoe Lake in Rice County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 416.62 acres.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Max depth
- 26 ft
- Area
- 417 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 6
- Open water
- 238 days
Next lake in Rice County
Why Horseshoe Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Horseshoe Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Horseshoe Lake is a 417-acre lake in Rice County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Horseshoe Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 67.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 67 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Horseshoe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Horseshoe Lake in Rice 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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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 26 ft |
| Surface Area | 417 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 81% |
| 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
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-24 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 101.11 | 0.52 lb |
| Black Crappie | 18.35 | 0.25 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 14.96 | 0.22 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.29 | 0.27 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 7.92 | 1.78 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 5.33 | 2.01 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.
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2024-06-24 survey
Horseshoe Lake is a 393-acre lake located in Le Sueur County northeast of the city of Waterville. A DNR owned public access is located on the south side of the lake off County Road 10. Horseshoe Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. Horseshoe Lake is primarily managed for Black Crappie, Bluegill, and secondarily for…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Horseshoe Lake. 3 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
- —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 | +0.158 m/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (22 observations).
Estimated open water season: 238 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-02 (2024) | 2018-04-29 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-13 (2018) | 2021-12-07 (2021) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-02
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 MN40-0001-00 · 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.
- Saemrow DairyWaterville · 1 mi away · NPDES MN0070980
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.
Graded lakes near Horseshoe Lake
Horseshoe Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Horseshoe Lake
What is the water quality grade for Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake in Rice County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 416.62 acres.
Is Horseshoe Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Horseshoe Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 416.62 acres.
What fish are in Horseshoe Lake?
- Fish species found in Horseshoe Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, freshwater drum, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Horseshoe Lake is located in Rice County, Minnesota.
When does Horseshoe Lake thaw?
- Horseshoe Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 6. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 238 days.
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
21 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA21 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate