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Frequently Asked Questions About Horseshoe Lake, MN
- How big is Horseshoe Lake?
- How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in Horseshoe Lake?
- What are the closest cities to Horseshoe Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the Horseshoe Lake area?
- Are there topographical lake maps available Horseshoe Lake?
- Are there boat launches on Horseshoe Lake?
- Are there places to eat and drink near Horseshoe Lake?
- What is the average air temp for Horseshoe Lake?
- Are there any state parks near Horseshoe Lake?
How big is Horseshoe Lake?
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in Horseshoe Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include Freshwater Drum, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish and White Sucker.
What are the closest cities to Horseshoe Lake?
Are there places to stay in the Horseshoe Lake area?
More Lodging Options
Are there topographical lake maps available Horseshoe Lake?
Are there boat launches on Horseshoe Lake?
Are there places to eat and drink near Horseshoe Lake?
Explore the Horseshoe Lake area in a RV
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2020 Lightning Aluminum Enclosed 5-place Snowmobile Trailer
Lakeville, MN
What aquatic invasive species are found in Horseshoe Lake?
Join us in the fight to prevent the spread of invasive species These sneaky creatures can hitch a ride on boats, clinging onto propellers, anchor lines, and trailers. They can even survive in hidden places like bilge water and ballast tanks, or disguise themselves in dirt and sand that sticks to nets, buckets, anchors, and waders. But don't worry, we have the power to stop them in their tracks with just a few simple steps. So let's do our part and protect our waters from these unwanted invaders.
History & Status of the Fishery
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 and consists of a shallower northern basin and deeper southern basin.
Horseshoe Lake was surveyed the week of July 1, 2013 as part of a regular monitoring program conducted by Minnesota DNR. This survey consisted of deploying trap and gill nets to monitor the fish community. Black bullhead was the most abundant fish species observed in this survey, with a total of 307 fish caught among all nets. Black bullhead total lengths ranged from 5.0 to 15.0 inches and averaged nearly 9.0 inches.
Black crappie catch rates in the 2013 survey were 8.0 fish/gill net and 1.5 fish/trap net. Overall, the total length of black crappie averaged 6.0 inches and ranged from 4.0 to 10.0 inches. Bluegill abundance was moderate at the time of this survey, with trap nets sampling 25.0 fish/ trap net. The average length of bluegill from trap nets was 5.0 inches, with the largest fish nearly 10.0 inches. Yellow perch abundance in Horseshoe Lake was relatively high in 2013, with a gill net catch rate of nearly 40.0 fish/gill net. The average length of yellow perch from gill nets was over 6.0 inches and the largest fish sampled was nearly 11.0 inches.
Horseshoe Lake continues to offer a quality northern pike and walleye fishery. Gill net catch rates were over 5.0 northern pike/net. Northern pike from gill nets averaged nearly 24.0 inches in length and ranged from 18.0 to 30.0 inches, with an average weight of 3.2 pounds. Walleye abundance was very strong during the 2013 survey. Gill nets catch rates averaged 9.5 walleye/gill net, which is above average for similar lakes in the area. The average length of walleye from gill nets was over 18.0 inches, ranging from 15.0 to 22.0 inches. Walleye fry are stocked in Horseshoe Lake two of every three years.
Largemouth bass were scarce during this survey, with only 2 fish collected overall. However, largemouth bass are not effectively sampled with the gear types used in this survey so this is not a good representation of the largemouth population in Horseshoe Lake. Spring electrofishing would be the preferred method to assess the largemouth bass population in Horseshoe Lake; however, electrofishing was not conducted in 2013. Other fish species collected in low numbers included freshwater drum, common carp, yellow bullhead, and green sunfish.
Anglers can play an important role in maintaining or improving a fish population by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for consumption, while encouraging the release of medium to large fish that may contribute to natural recruitment. This practice helps maintain balance in the fish community and provides anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Additionally, smaller fish often taste better and have fewer contaminants than larger, older fish from the same water body.
Shoreline property owners also play an important role in the overall health of an aquatic ecosystem, including the fish population. Natural shorelines, including vegetation, woody debris, and bottom substrates, provide valuable habitat for fish and wildlife, help maintain water quality, and reduce bank erosion. By leaving natural shorelines unaltered or restoring them to natural conditions, shoreline property owners are doing their part to maintain or improve a healthy ecosystem in the lake and protect the resource for future generations.
-Prepared by: Kip Rounds, Fisheries Specialist
What is the average air temp for Horseshoe Lake?
Are there any state parks near Horseshoe Lake?
For more Minnesota State Park information see our State Park Guide.
More Nearby Lakes To Explore
There's more lake's to explore around Horseshoe Lake...| DISTANCE | ACRES | MAX DEPTH | |
| Lower Sakatah Lake | 2.1 mi | 372 | 7 ft |
| Upper Sakatah Lake | 2.6 mi | 892 | 12 ft |
| Sunfish Lake | 3.0 mi | 121 | 30 ft |
| Caron Lake | 4.0 mi | 319 | 4 ft |
| Tetonka Lake | 4.7 mi | 1,358 | 35 ft |
| Rice Lake | 5.1 mi | 331 | 6.7 ft |
| Cedar Lake | 5.3 mi | 902 | 42 ft |
| Sabre Lake | 6.1 mi | 258 | 13 ft |
| Hunt Lake | 6.2 mi | 176 | 27 ft |
| Reeds Lake | 6.8 mi | 193 | 58 ft |
