Horseshoe Lake (Crow Wing County)
Crow Wing County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 18025100
DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Horseshoe Lake (Crow Wing County) since 2019, most recently yellow perch adults in 2019 (806 fish).
- Horseshoe Lake (Crow Wing County) has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2019-2019): yellow perch (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is yellow perch: 806 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 56 ft; surface area 922 acres, 526 littoral acres, 7.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 12.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Crow Wing County, nearest town Cross Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 18025100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/4/1987 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Yellow Perch | adults | 806 | 290.0 |
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | South end of east basin off of Mission Park Drive. - Access on south end of east basin off Mission Park Drive. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 94.53 | 135 | 1.31 |
| Walleye | Standard electrofishing | 0.70 | 1 | 5.86 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 42.25 | 507 | 0.83 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 14.00 | 168 | 0.16 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 9.67 | 116 | 1.92 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 48 | 1.43 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 2.58 | 31 | 0.51 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 20 | 1.14 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 16 | 0.35 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.92 | 11 | 0.08 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 9.83 | 118 | 0.13 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 2.58 | 31 | 0.37 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.58 | 19 | 0.33 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.17 | 14 | 0.97 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.08 | 13 | 2.05 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.83 | 10 | 1.62 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 8 | 0.36 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.42 | 5 | 0.13 |
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.
Walleye were last stocked in 2010 and most of the fish caught appear to be from that stocking. While it may appear that Walleye numbers were low at 0.8/gill net, it is average for this type of lake. Average length was 24.0" and all the fish were over 20" in length. Northern Pike numbers were above average for the fourth survey in a row at 9.7/gill net. Average length was 19.6" with 17% measuring at least 26.0" in length. Yellow Perch have been caught in low numbers since 1989. This trend continues with a gill net catch of 0.9/net. Fish stocked in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2019 haven't seemed to help the situation for this important forage fish. Average length was 6.5". Largemouth Bass were sampled by night electrofishing, yielding a catch of 93.1/hr. run-time. Size was good, with an average of 13.3" and 64% measuring 12.0" or larger. Largemouth Bass were sampled in high numbers in gill nets at 4.0/net. Average length was 13.3", with 65% at least 12.0" in length. Panfish may be an attractive feature for Horseshoe anglers. Black Crappie numbers were average in gill nets (1.3/net) and in trap nets (2.6/net). Average length was 8.3" in gill nets and 8.6" in trap nets. With both gears combined, 57% of the fish were 8.0" or larger. Bluegill numbers, while the lowest to date at 9.8/trap net, were still average for this type of lake. Average size was 5.2" and 18% of the fish were 7.0" or larger. One trend we were seeing over the years was the increasing number of Yellow Bullheads. After six straight surveys with increasing numbers and peaking in 2013 at 103.3/gill net the trend has been for decreasing numbers the last two surveys. The gill net catch of 42.3/net was still well above average compared to similar lakes. Average length was 11.3". Zebra Mussels are present in Horseshoe Lake. Before and after launching lake users are required to inspect and remove any aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and trailers as well as pull the plug and drain all water from the watercraft, including bilges, livewells and baitwells.
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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