Horseshoe Lake
MU 4-22, Kootenays
49.5728° N, 115.5189° W
- Surface area
- 22.9ha
- Elevation
- 846m
- Campsites
- 17
- At Horseshoe Lake rec site
Open Horseshoe Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Horseshoe Lake at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-22
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout (last recorded 1960), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1960), Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1960)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Coordinates
- 49.572818, -115.518931
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission
Gear for rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
Search Amazon.caAs an Amazon Associate, BC Trout Finder earns from qualifying purchases.
Fish on record at Horseshoe Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1923 | 2026 | 98 |
| Brook Trout | 1960 | 1960 | 2 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1960 | 1960 | 1 |
| Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout | 1960 | 1960 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
Horseshoe Lake fishing regulations
No powered boats. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Horseshoe Lake
0.9 km of traced road to the campground by way of Horseshoe Lake FSR. The road at the end is a rough surface. It stops 50 m short of the campground.
Coordinates: 49.572818, -115.518931
Camping and rec sites at Horseshoe Lake
- Horseshoe Lake
- Campsites
- 17 designated
- To the shore
- 42 m
Access: Commencing at the Fort Steele Historic Park, proceed north on Hwy 93/95 for 300 metres. Turn right onto the Wardner - Ft. Steele Road. Follow this road for 10.7 km. Turn left onto the Horseshoe Lake Road. The lake is within 500 metres of the turn-off. A road that circles the lake accesses the campsites scattered along the lakeshore.
Coordinates: 49.571338, -115.521431
Depth chart for Horseshoe Lake
The Province sounded Horseshoe Lake and published the depth chart.
The ice year at Horseshoe Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Horseshoe Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 9 November and 25 November, and ice-off between 1 April and 21 April. The median winter freezes on 18 November and opens on 11 April.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 22 November 2024 to 26 March 2025, 124 days.
We have no ice fishing regulation on file for Horseshoe Lake either way. Check the current BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis before you plan a trip.
Whether a lake is open to ice fishing says nothing about whether its ice will hold you. Ice conditions vary year to year and across a single lake. Check locally before going out, every time.
Horseshoe Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Horseshoe Lake is 1.0 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.0 Csince the 1960s
- 6.4 Caverage year now
- 5.4 Caverage year then
- -10 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Horseshoe Lake
The forecast on this lake's own coordinate, refreshed through the day. The app reads these seven days for fishing and scores each one.
| Day | Sky | High / low | Wind | Rain | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 21 Oct | Mainly clear | 16° / 9° | 10 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Thu 22 Oct | Heavy rain | 18° / 7° | 7 km/h | 4 mm | Falling (-2.3 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Slight rain showers | 12° / 6° | 12 km/h, gusts 20 | 4 mm | Rising (+4.3 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 5° | 12 km/h, gusts 19 | dry | Rising (+10.2 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 1° | 7 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 10° / 0° | 7 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.6 hPa) |
| Tue 27 Oct | Heavy rain | 10° / 3° | 6 km/h, gusts 16 | 8 mm | Falling (-9.5 hPa) |
Horseshoe Lake, in brief
What fish are in Horseshoe Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout (last recorded 1960), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1960), Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1960). Species from the province's fish observation records.
How big is Horseshoe Lake?
Horseshoe Lake covers about 22.9 ha, by the province's Freshwater Atlas.
Which management unit is Horseshoe Lake in?
Horseshoe Lake is in MU 4-22, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Horseshoe Lake
- Peckhams Lake 4 km away
- Norbury (Garbutt) Lake 5 km away
- Bednorski Lake 15 km away
- Haha Lake 16 km away
- Lund Lake 17 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.