Minnesota · Hubbard County
Horseshoe Lake Fishing guide
Horseshoe Lake sits in Hubbard County, Minnesota, and covers 264 acres, reaching 52 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 2 times, most recently in 2002, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 24 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Horseshoe Lake in 2002. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Largemouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Rock bass
How to fish Horseshoe Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 52 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- 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 52 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.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
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 2002 survey
Mirage Lake is located three miles southeast of Laporte in Hubbard County. Mirage has a surface area of 253 acres and a maximum depth of 52 feet. Mirage Lake has no public access. Mirage provides fishing opportunities for northern pike, largemouth bass, and panfish.Anglers will find good numbers of northern pike present in Mirage. While larger fish are present, the 2002 sample was dominated by small, "hammer handle" pike. Sampled northern pike had an average length and weight of 18.4 inches and 1.3 pounds. The northern pike population in Mirage is limited by high recruitment of young pike and very slow growth rates. Moderate numbers of bluegill, black crappie, and largemouth bass were sampled in 2002. Anglers will find black crappie in the 9-10 inch size range and bluegill in the 6-7 inch range common. Walleye were sampled in very low numbers, similar to the previous survey in 1991. Other species sampled include moderate numbers of yellow perch, bowfin (dogfish), and rock bass. Pumpkinseed, common shiner, and bullheads were sampled in low numbers.
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.
DNR bathymetry
Horseshoe Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Kabekona Lake · 2,433 ac · 2.7 mi
- Benedict Lake · 464 ac · 2.9 mi
- Garfield Lake · 972 ac · 3.5 mi
- Lester Lake · 72 ac · 4 mi
- Steamboat Lake · 1,756 ac · 6.1 mi
- Twenty-One Lake · 36 ac · 6.6 mi
- Nelson Lake · 40 ac · 6.8 mi
- Crooked Lake · 582 ac · 7.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
Horseshoe Lake reaches 52 ft at its deepest point; about 54% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Horseshoe Lake?
Horseshoe Lake covers 264 acres with about 4.5 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Horseshoe Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2002) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Horseshoe Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Horseshoe Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
When was Horseshoe Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Horseshoe Lake in 2002, the most recent of 2 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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