Horseshoe Lake (Itasca County, DOW 31069600)
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31069600
Horseshoe Lake (Itasca County, DOW 31069600) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Horseshoe Lake (Itasca County, DOW 31069600) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 25 ft; surface area 260 acres, 241 littoral acres, 3.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 11.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, and 1 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Marcell; DNR lake number (DOW) 31069600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | UKN | - between VT 18 and VT 19. access used for survey |
DNR fish survey, 2007
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 18.11 | 163 | 0.11 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.78 | 16 | 1.62 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.13 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 0.07 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 1.27 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.50 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.27 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.42 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 15.00 | 75 | 0.44 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 8.40 | 42 | 1.54 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 3.80 | 19 | 1.74 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 3.20 | 16 | 2.56 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.40 | 12 | 3.63 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 10 | 0.18 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.80 | 9 | 0.59 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.80 | 9 | 0.62 |
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 270-acre lake in Itasca County near Marcell. Horseshoe Lake is a relatively small, shallow, hardwater lake that has occasionally experienced winterkill. The lake has historically been managed for walleye and centrachids. A population assessment was conducted on Horseshoe Lake in 2007 to determine the status of the fish community. Black bullhead were the most common fish in the gill nets. The catch rate of 15.0/gill net was within the expected range when compared to similar lakes. Most black bullheads were relatively large with a mean length of 9.3 inches. Bullheads are very resilient to winterkill situations and often dominate the fish community following a winterkill. The current catch rate and lack of smaller individuals suggest stable fish habitat has occurred in recent years. Northern pike were the second most common fish in the gill nets. The catch of 8.4/gill net falls within the expected range when compared to similar lakes. With the exception of the previous survey in 1997 when the gill net catch was exceptionally high in response to a 1992 winterkill, pike catches from Horseshoe Lake have been about average for the type of lake. Size structure in 2007 was relatively poor as most individuals were less than 21 inches. Lakes with similar characteristics to Horseshoe do not typically produce large walleye catches and angling potential for this species tends to be limited. Horseshoe Lake has a history of producing walleye in good numbers when compared to similar lakes, however. In 2007, walleye were caught at a rate of 2.4/gill net, which falls within the expected range for this type of lake. Size structure was favorable for anglers as all captured individuals exceeded 19 inches. Bluegill were the most common fish in the trap net. The catch rate of 18.1/trap net was within the expected range when compared to similar lakes. The bluegill population appears to have increased in recent years as the previous survey in 1997 resulted in a catch of only 0.4/net. In 2007, small size was typical, as most individuals did not exceed 6 inches. Black crappie have historically occurred in relatively low abundance in Horseshoe Lake and remained in low abundance in 2007. Size distribution was favorable, however, as most captured individuals exceeded 9 inches. Largemouth bass were sampled in low numbers. Test netting often results in a poor index of bass abundance as bass tend to avoid the nets. Smallmouth bass were sampled in relatively good numbers in the gill nets. The catch of 3.8 is well above average when compared to similar lakes. Size…
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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