Horseshoe Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Horseshoe Lake is mapped to a depth of 50 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 628 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1963.
Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 50 ft
- Survey year
- 1963
- Surface area
- 628 acres
- Shoreline
- 12.11 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 4% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details6 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–50 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 50 ft, 15 ft
Provenance
Sources: MN DNR Lake Bathymetric Contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
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Map details & sources4 sources
All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.
Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.
- Coordinates
- 45.42677, -94.52077
- MN DNR lake ID
- 73015700
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.98×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.3 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25Horseshoe Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, nearby higher-volume roads.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Mixed | 9.9 of 43 | 39% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (30% forest, 4% wetland; 30% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 21.9 of 36 | mean fetch 1,038 m · 7% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch |
| Motor & speed rules | Not modeled | — | Minnesota’s lake-by-lake motor, speed and no-wake rules are mostly county and city ordinances, not map data, so they are not part of the Minnesota index. Check local signage and ordinances before going out. |
| Public access | Not listed | — | No public access site of this lake’s own in the MN DNR water access and fishing site records. Private, commercial and informal launches are not all in these records, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized. |
| Road isolation | Mixed | 7.5 of 21 | nearby higher-volume roads · 11 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 14,408 vehicles/day |
Additional paddling considerations
These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.
- Wake sensitivity
- Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
- Aquatic vegetation
- Low — approximately 4% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
- Observed motorized activity
- Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
- Wildlife habitat potential
- Limited — 30% forest and 4% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
- State water trail
- On a state water trail — Part of a designated Minnesota State Water Trail: Sauk River. · MN DNR State Water Trails
Compare Minnesota lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from DNR surveys & active stocking19 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).
Muskellungestocked
Common Carp
Greater Redhorse
Redhorse
Silver Redhorse
White Sucker
Shorthead Redhorse
Hybrid Sunfish
About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide
Fishery
surveyed 2018Gamefish Channel Catfish 274 · Smallmouth Bass 77 · Largemouth Bass 75 · Northern Pike 73
Panfish Bluegill 260 · Black Crappie 46 · Yellow Perch 23
All survey species18 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Bullhead & catfish
Forage & nongame
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 2017–2025Fish the Minnesota DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Infested waters listing
1 confirmed, 1 via connectionMussels & snails
- Zebra MusselListed in 2018 because this water is connected by the Sauk River between Sauk (77-0150) and Becker (73-0156). The species has not necessarily been found in this lake.
Plants & algae
Eurasian WatermilfoilConfirmed in this water in 2021 (listed 2021).
How to identify invasive species in Minnesota lakes →
What does the infested waters list mean?
The Minnesota DNR lists a lake, river, pond or wetland as infested when it contains an aquatic invasive species that could spread to other waters, or when it is connected to a water where one is present. Activities such as bait harvest and water use are managed differently on infested waters. Check the current list before moving water, bait or equipment.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. List of Infested Waters, September 9, 2026. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html
Horseshoe Lake — common questions
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Horseshoe Lake is 50 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.
How big is Horseshoe Lake?
Horseshoe Lake covers about 628 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What fish are in Horseshoe Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye. The page lists all 19 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Horseshoe Lake?
No public launch for Horseshoe Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR access data. That is not the same as the lake being private -- private and commercial launches are not in that source.
