Horseshoe Lake
Todd County, Minnesota121 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Horseshoe Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 24 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Horseshoe Lake in Todd County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 120.8 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 11, 2019 caught 1.49 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Horseshoe Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–31 inches. DNR survey details →
Horseshoe Lake is a 121-acre lake in Todd County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 24 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Horseshoe Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Horseshoe Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Horseshoe Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Horseshoe Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Horseshoe Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 11, 2019 caught 1.49 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Horseshoe Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–31 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Horseshoe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-07-11 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2019-07-11 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 57.77 | 3–7 in 2019-06-24 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.98 | 5–17 in 2019-06-24 | 0.9 lb |
| Northern Pike | 10.26 | 9–31 in 2019-06-24 | 1.39 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.32 | 5–9 in 2019-06-24 | 0.13 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 5.25 | 4–5 in 2000-06-19 | 0.03 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
From the 2019-07-11 survey
Nearshore sampling was performed on Horseshoe Lake July 11 and 12 of 2019 to provide data for calculation of a Fish Index of Biotic Integrity (FIBI) score in conjunction with standard gill net and trap net sampling conducted June 24-26. Nearshore sampling consists of seining and backpack electrofishing at 10 randomly…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Horseshoe Lake. 4 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
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Horseshoe (0893)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HorseshoeFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HorseshoePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
24 ft
Surface area
121 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
70%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,257 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Horseshoe LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Horseshoe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Horseshoe Lake in Todd 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Horseshoe Lake
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Follow Horseshoe Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Horseshoe Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Mar 12, 2003 · Latest Apr 26, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 23
Earliest Nov 3, 2006 · Latest Dec 12, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 22
2015
14 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Horseshoe Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Browerville WwtpBrowerville · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MN0022926Recent violation
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.
Nearby Lakes in Todd County
Frequently asked questions about Horseshoe Lake
Where is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake is a lake in Todd County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake in Todd County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 24 ft. Surface area: 120.8 acres.
Is Horseshoe Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake has a maximum depth of 24 feet. The lake covers 120.8 acres.
What fish are in Horseshoe Lake?
- Fish species found in Horseshoe Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Horseshoe Lake is located in Todd County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Horseshoe Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 11, 2019 caught 1.49 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Horseshoe Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–31 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Horseshoe Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Horseshoe Lake thaw?
- Horseshoe Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Nov 23. The open water season is approximately 222 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.
Can I fish at Horseshoe Lake?
- Horseshoe Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Horseshoe Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
46 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA46 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
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