Horseshoe Lake fishing: Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass

Target species: Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Golden Redhorse
Boat: 1 ramp or launch on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Horseshoe Lake Public Water Access Site, 1 lane.

The lake

Horseshoe Lake covers 395 acres in Minnesota, across Stearns County. It is a lake: 91.2% of it is 33 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 50 feet (15.2 m). Our records hold 22 species for this water.

7 target fish, led by Muskellunge

  • Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
  • Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
  • Golden Redhorse — Feeding water: 60–75°F.

Also recorded here: River Redhorse, Black Bullhead, Shorthead Redhorse, Silver Redhorse, White Sucker, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Yellow Perch, Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp.

Horseshoe Lake (140428181).jpeg
J Doll · CC BY 3.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 50 ft (15.2 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 91.2% of the water is 33 feet or shallower. We hold 58 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–3 ft: 18.9% of the water
  • 3–6 ft: 9.3% of the water
  • 6–9 ft: 9.1% of the water
  • 9–12 ft: 8.7% of the water
  • 12–15 ft: 9.1% of the water
  • 15–18 ft: 9.4% of the water
  • 18–21 ft: 9.4% of the water
  • 21–24 ft: 6.8% of the water
  • 24–27 ft: 3.6% of the water
  • 27–30 ft: 3.5% of the water
  • 30–33 ft: 3.4% of the water
  • 33–36 ft: 3.6% of the water
  • 36–39 ft: 1.3% of the water
  • 39–42 ft: 1% of the water
  • 42–45 ft: 0.9% of the water
  • 45–48 ft: 1% of the water
  • 48–50 ft: 1.1% of the water

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 3–11.6 feet on our readings, averaging 6.4 feet, from 40 readings. Our water temperature readings average 71°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. The coldest single reading we hold is 54°F and the warmest is 81°F; the warmest monthly average is 77°F. pH averages 8.2. These readings span 2017–2025.

1 ramp or launch on this water

On this water we hold 1 trailer ramp.

  • Horseshoe Lake Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.

The place listed has no fee or opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Killdeer at Horseshoe Lake State Park.jpg
cricketsblog · CC BY 2.0

What is hard here

Clarity swings from 3 to 11.6 feet between our readings — the water you meet is not the water someone photographed. Only 1 public ramp is on file, so the launch decides where you fish.

Where this data comes from

  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: reported depths: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.