Horseshoe Lake (Cass County, DOW 11035800)
Cass County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 11035800
Horseshoe Lake (Cass County, DOW 11035800) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Horseshoe Lake (Cass County, DOW 11035800) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 51 ft; surface area 260 acres, 80 littoral acres, 3.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 16.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cass County, nearest town Backus; DNR lake number (DOW) 11035800.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/28/1961 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | South shore. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Special trap nets | 53.95 | 1,025 | 0.13 |
| Rock bass | Special trap nets | 5.74 | 109 | 0.19 |
| White sucker | Special trap nets | 4.95 | 94 | 4.08 |
| Black crappie | Special trap nets | 2.26 | 43 | 0.46 |
| Yellow bullhead | Special trap nets | 1.68 | 32 | 0.39 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Special trap nets | 1.26 | 24 | 0.24 |
| Largemouth bass | Special trap nets | 1.16 | 22 | 1.09 |
| Pumpkinseed | Special trap nets | 0.84 | 16 | 0.25 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 13.67 | 82 | 0.93 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 11.83 | 71 | 0.17 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 6.17 | 37 | 0.22 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 4.83 | 29 | 0.59 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 4.33 | 26 | 2.24 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 12 | 2.96 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 9 | 0.17 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 9 | 0.54 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 7.00 | 63 | 0.24 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 3.11 | 28 | 0.16 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.72 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 0.68 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.39 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.17 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.21 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Horseshoe Lake is a 260-acre lake with 3.84 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 51 feet located east of Backus, MN. There is a MNDNR owned public access on the south shore. Horseshoe Lake is primarily managed for Bluegill, Black Crappie, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and Walleye and secondarily for Yellow Perch. The MNDNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Horseshoe Lake is in Lake Class 23; lakes in this class are generally clear, deep, have a low percentage of shallow water area, and have very irregularly shaped shoreline with many bays or points. Other Lake Class 23 lakes in the Walker area include Baby, Hay, Mule, Portage, and Stony. The purpose of this survey was to assess the status of gamefish populations in Horseshoe Lake. A special regulation for Sunfish (daily limit five) was implemented in 2016. Horseshoe Lake is unique in the fact that for its size and simplicity it supports a naturally reproducing Walleye population. Walleye numbers fell below the management goal of ten fish per gill net in 2024. Walleye ranged in length from 13 to 28 inches with an average length of 19 inches. In addition to Walleye, the lake also supports quality angling opportunities for Largemouth Bass and Bluegill. Largemouth Bass are abundant with fish up to 20 inches long sampled. Bluegill are abundant with approximately 10 percent sampled measuring 8 inches or longer, and Bluegill up to 10 inches sampled. A special regulation (sunfish daily limit 5) was implemented in 2016 to maintain quality size Bluegill. Black Crappie provide angling opportunity ranging in length from 4 to 13 inches with an average length of 8.7 inches. Northern Pike abundance is low due to limited spawning habitat. Other fish species sampled in Horseshoe Lake include Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Horseshoe Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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