Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
17-acre lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 17 acres of water rimmed by 0.9 miles of bank. Index 1.5 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.3 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. You'll find it in Sawyer County. For a second option, Filing Shed Lake lies 0 mi southeast.
Spring yellow perch on Horseshoe Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 9 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 10 ft, and they winter in 3 to 10 ft. Fall largemouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 8 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 10 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 10 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 10 ft before dropping to 3 to 10 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, pumpkinseed slide up into 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 3 to 10 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 9 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Horseshoe Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Horseshoe Lake is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target yellow perch, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Horseshoe Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Horseshoe Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Filing Shed Lake 0 mi · Horseshoe Lake 1 mi · Eagle Nest Lake 1 mi · North Lake 1 mi · Sickles Lake 1 mi · Lake Helane 2 mi · Holmes Lake 2 mi · Fawn Lake 2 mi · Stearns Lake 2 mi · Camp Four Lake 2 mi · Beaver Lake 2 mi · McClaine Lake 2 mi
See how Horseshoe Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Sawyer County fishing maps (184 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.