Little Horseshoe Lake
Chisago County, Minnesota49 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Horseshoe Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
Little Horseshoe Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 48.78 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 1990 caught 0.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Horseshoe Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Horseshoe Lake is a 49-acre mesotrophic lake in Chisago County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 43 feet (15-foot average). 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 29 other monitored lakes in Chisago County, Little Horseshoe Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Horseshoe Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water43 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little 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 Little Horseshoe Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Horseshoe Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.9 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Horseshoe Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in May (about 67°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (67°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 22 field readings (2021–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Horseshoe Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 1990 caught 0.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Horseshoe Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-08-15 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1990-08-15 (Standard Survey)
36 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 25.48 | 0.14 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 2.64 | 0.48 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.46 | 0.1 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 2.21 | 0.18 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 1.67 | 0.11 lb | |
| Golden Shiner | 1.50 | 0.1 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.
From the 1990-08-15 survey
IN AUGUST, 1990, A LAKE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED ON LITTLE HORSESHOE LAKE. TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF THE FISH POPULATIONS, THREE GILLNETS AND THREE TRAPNETS WERE SET. NO SHORELINE STATIONS WERE SEINED DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF READILY SEINABLE AREAS (EXTREMELY DENSE WEED GROWTH ALONG ENTIRE LAKE PERIMETER.) BASED ON THE…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little 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 — Little HorseshoeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Horseshoe (1932)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little HorseshoePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
43 ft
Average depth
15 ft
Surface area
49 acres
Shoreline
1.4 mi
Littoral zone
37%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
909 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little 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 Little Horseshoe Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Little Horseshoe Lake
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Follow Little Horseshoe Lake’s readings
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Fishing Little 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.59 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-4.41 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Chisago County
Frequently asked questions about Little Horseshoe Lake
Where is Little Horseshoe Lake?
- Little Horseshoe Lake is a lake in Chisago County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Horseshoe Lake?
- Little Horseshoe Lake in Chisago County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 48.78 acres.
Is Little Horseshoe Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Horseshoe Lake?
- Little Horseshoe Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 22 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Horseshoe Lake?
- Little Horseshoe Lake has a maximum depth of 43 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 48.78 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Horseshoe Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 1990 caught 0.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Horseshoe Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little 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.
Are there boat ramps on Little Horseshoe Lake?
- Little Horseshoe Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Horseshoe Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Horseshoe Lake?
- Little 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 Little Horseshoe Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
63 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA63 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory