Horseshoe Lake
Horseshoe Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 120 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 57 ft. Surface area: 628.58 acres.
- Clarity
- 4 ft
- Typical in August
- 71°F
- Max depth
- 57 ft
- Area
- 629 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Horseshoe Lake →
Next lake in Stearns County
Horseshoe Lake is a 629-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 57 feet (14-foot average). Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 25 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 31 other monitored lakes in Stearns County, Horseshoe Lake ranks #23 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft. Phosphorus level: 120 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 44.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 66.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 120 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 44.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 66 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Horseshoe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Horseshoe Lake in Stearns 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Horseshoe Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Horseshoe Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 70°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in Oct (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 195 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Horseshoe Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Horseshoe Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (69,823 cells/mL) on March 27, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 57 ft |
| Average Depth | 14.1 ft |
| Surface Area | 629 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 13.4 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 44% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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
26 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-13 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 56.07 | 1.42 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 44.60 | — |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 26.97 | — |
| Bluegill | 15.32 | 0.27 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 13.28 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.12 | 0.78 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.
Walleye
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-10-13 survey
Horseshoe Lake is located near Richmond in south-central Stearns County. A public access is located on the Sauk River one-half mile upstream from the lake; however, navigable channels connect Horseshoe with Cedar Island Lake and the other downstream lakes within the Sauk River Chain of Lakes (SRCL). Horseshoe Lake has…
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: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.176 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +26 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +20.85 µg/L/yr | 3 |
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 MN73-0157-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #23 of 32 lakes in Stearns County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Horseshoe Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Horseshoe Lake
What is the water quality grade for Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 120 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 57 ft. Surface area: 628.58 acres.
Is Horseshoe Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Horseshoe Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 44.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 195 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake has a maximum depth of 57 feet and an average depth of 14.1 feet. The lake covers 628.58 acres.
What fish are in Horseshoe Lake?
- Fish species found in Horseshoe Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, golden redhorse, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, redhorse, river redhorse, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Horseshoe Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Does Horseshoe Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Horseshoe Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (69,823 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Horseshoe Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
66 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
MNPCA66 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder