Horseshoe Lake

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 topographical lake maps available Horseshoe Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Horseshoe Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Horseshoe Lake

Are there boat launches on Horseshoe Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Horseshoe Lake?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Horseshoe Lake?

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.

A standard survey was performed the week of June 25, 2018 as part of a regular monitoring program conducted by Minnesota DNR. A standard survey is used for sampling a wide range of fish species during the summer months using standard methods (i.e. standard time of year, set sampling stations, taking water clarity readings and oxygen/temperature profiles, etc.) and gears (i.e. lake survey gillnets, trap nets, and spring electrofishing for Largemouth Bass). This survey consisted of deploying trap and gill nets to monitor the fish community.

Horseshoe Lake has been designated a Tier-2 lake and will be surveyed every 6 years, including: spring day electrofishing to assess the Largemouth Bass population, gill nets and trap nets to assess the fish community for size structure and abundance .

Horseshoe Lake has historically produced moderate quality Black Crappies. Since 1983, Black Crappie relative abundance has varied from 0.6/trap net in 1990 to 63.7/trap net in 1988. The trap net catch rate for Black Crappie in 2018 of 7.1 is what we would expect for lakes similar to Horseshoe, which was an increase from 2013 (1.5/trap net) and was slightly above the average for similar lakes (5.5/trap net). Black Crappies were also sampled very effectively with gill nets, and were captured at a rate of 20.0/gill net, which was higher than what we would expect for lakes similar to Horseshoe Lake (17.5/gill net). Black Crappie size structure was small, indicative of a sample dominated by young fish (2015-2017 year classes). Black Crappie ranged from 4.3 to 11.5 inches and averaged 8.1 inches in trap nets.

Bluegill relative abundance has been variable in Horseshoe Lake ranging from 1.3/trap net in 1983 to 60.4/trap net in 1993. Bluegills were sampled at a rate of 19.6/trap net in 2018, which was lower than in 2013 (24.9/trap net) and slightly above the average (15.9/trap net) for lakes similar to Horseshoe Lake. Bluegills ranged from 2.8 to 9.4 inches in length and averaged 7.4 inches in 2018 compared to 4.9 inches in 2013. Six year classes of Bluegill were sampled in 201 (2012-2017). The majority of Bluegills aged (81%) were from the 2014-2015 year classes (ages 3-4).

Walleye catch rates decreased from the 2013 survey from 9.5/gill net to 4.5/gill net in 2018, but still was within the long term range of catch rates (0 to 9.5/gill net). Seven year classes of Walleye were present (2009-2011, and 2013-2016). Walleyes ranged from 14.7 to 26.3 inches and averaged 21.6 inches in gill nets. Walleye growth was fast in Horseshoe Lake as fish averaged 13.7 inches at age-2 and 19.5 inches at age-4.

Largemouth Bass are secondary management species on Horseshoe Lake and were assessed using day-time electrofishing in 2018. Previous to 2018 Largemouth Bass abundance was only assessed using standard trap netting. We caught 39.7 Largemouth Bass per hour of electrofishing. The average length of Largemouth Bass sampled in 2018 was 12.2 inches and ranged from 4.9 to 19.5 inches.

Northern pike catch rates have historically been stable in Horseshoe Lake, gill net catch rates ranged from 0.7/gill net in 1996 to 20.0 in 2003 which was more than triple the next highest catch rate since 1983. The 2018 catch rate was 5.5/gill net, which was above average (4.7/gill net) for Horseshoe Lake. Northern Pike sampled with gill nets ranged from 16.2 to 32.4 inches in length and averaged 23.8 inches. Fifty-two percent of Northern Pike sampled were greater than the 24-inch minimum length limit. Southern Zone Northern Pike regulations are in effect for Horseshoe Lake. Anglers are allowed 2 fish per day and all fish under 24 inches must be immediately released.

The 2018 Yellow Perch catch rate (28.5/gill net) decreased from 2013 (39.9/gill net) but was still high. Yellow Perch exhibited small size structure, with only one fish exceeding 10.0 inches. Yellow Perch ranged in length from 4.4 to 10.6 inches and averaged 7.0 inches.

Both Black and Yellow Bullheads were present in the 2018 sample. Combined bullheads had a catch rate of 15.3/gillnet. Bullhead size ranged from 5.4 inches to 15.9 inches and averaged nearly 12 inches in length.

Other species present in low numbers included: Common Carp, Freshwater Drum, Bowfin (dogfish), Bigmouth Buffalo, and Golden Shiner.
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 reproduction. This practice helps maintain balance in the fish populations 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. Cattails and bulrushes are particularly beneficial for fish spawning, rearing, and feeding. 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.

-Tyler Fellows, specialist

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Are there any state parks near Horseshoe Lake?