Horse Lake

Horse Lake covers about 715 acres in the Kawishiwi district, part of a chain of small lakes reached by portage south of Basswood Lake near the Canadian border. It sits well back from the nearest entry points at Mudro and Angleworm, in the same stretch of forested, tucked-away water as Tin Can Mike and Sandpit Lakes to its south.

The lake runs shallow, topping out around 25 feet, and roughly half of it stays shallow enough to fish from the surface down. Its shoreline folds into far more bays and points than its acreage alone suggests, so a paddler crossing it spends more time working around points than making one long open crossing.

Walleye and northern pike carry the fishery, both showing up in strong numbers. Bluegill add solid panfish action alongside them, and yellow perch fill out the shallows in good numbers, though rock bass here tend to run small.

Seven campsites sit on the lake, spread enough around its broken shoreline that finding an open one with some separation from the next group isn't usually a problem. A long, difficult portage of nearly a mile connects in from No-see-um Lake to the north, which keeps that approach quiet, while a shorter, easier carry links south to Tin Can Mike Lake.

Horse Lake works as a quieter break between Basswood's open water and the smaller lakes further south, more sheltered than a big-lake crossing and with real portaging on either side of it.