Minnesota · Chisago County
Horseshoe Lake Fishing guide
Horseshoe Lake covers 224 acres in Chisago County, Minnesota, reaching 53 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 3.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2025, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassJust a few7.7per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical16"Biggest
Lengths measured · 25 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 25 fish
2025Lengths measured · 118 fish
2017Lengths measured · 55 fish
2005Lengths measured · 77 fish
2000Northern pikeGood numbers12per gill net21"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 71 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 71 fish
2025Lengths measured · 28 fish
2017Lengths measured · 37 fish
2005Lengths measured · 19 fish
2000BluegillFair numbers26.3per trap net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 271 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 271 fish
2025Lengths measured · 429 fish
2017Lengths measured · 446 fish
2005Lengths measured · 525 fish
2000CrappieJust a few3.3per trap net5"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 169 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 169 fish
2025Lengths measured · 37 fish
2017Lengths measured · 18 fish
2005Lengths measured · 54 fish
2000Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Horseshoe Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. In 3.4 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 53 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 3.4 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. On a lake that drops to 53 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Bluegill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35" | 16" | 7" |
| 2017 | 35" | 20" | 8" |
| 2005 | 30" | 20" | 7" |
| 2000 | 28" | 18" | 8" |
| 1995 | 34" | 13" | 9" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Horseshoe Lake was conducted on August 28, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment (LBMA) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 10 sampling stations with 5 stations sampled from the boat. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample four stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at three stations. Three other stations were not seined due to deep and soft sediments. Nearshore sampling captured 11 species of fish including one species that is intolerant of disturbance (Least Darter) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish).
The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a July 2025 survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Least Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov web site.
Read the full DNR narrative
Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Horseshoe Lake is adversely impacted by stressors, as indicated by an FIBI score below the general use impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. These results are similar to previous findings which indicated that Horseshoe Lake is impaired for aquatic life use. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Lower St. Croix River watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Horseshoe Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Horseshoe Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Horseshoe Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Horseshoe Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Horseshoe Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Fish Lake · 319 ac · 1.3 mi
- Rabour Lake · 53 ac · 1.5 mi
- Mandall Lake · 47 ac · 1.7 mi
- Neander Lake · 57 ac · 2.3 mi
- Goose Lake · 732 ac · 2.5 mi
- Skogman Lake · 228 ac · 5.1 mi
- Krans Lake · 35 ac · 5.2 mi
- East Rush Lake · 1,494 ac · 6.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
Horseshoe Lake reaches 53 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 13 ft; about 50% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Horseshoe Lake?
Horseshoe Lake covers 224 acres with about 4.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Horseshoe Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Horseshoe Lake average 3.4 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Horseshoe Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Horseshoe Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Horseshoe Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Horseshoe Lake have a public access?
Yes. Horseshoe Lake has one public access site: Horseshoe Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Horseshoe Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 35"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Horseshoe Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Horseshoe Lake in 2025, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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