North Twin Lake vs South Twin Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
South Twin Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than North Twin Lake (B, Good). Both are in Mahnomen County, Minnesota.
North Twin Lake and South Twin Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The grades are close: North Twin Lake (B) and South Twin Lake (A) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.
With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
North Twin Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft.
South Twin Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 10.2 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | North Twin Lake | South Twin Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 8.5 ft | 10.2 ft |
| Phosphorus | 17 µg/L | 14 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 16 ft | 29 ft |
| Surface Area | 965.96 acres | 1.1K acres |
| Public Access | No | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
South Twin Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus North Twin Lake's Grade B. Water clarity: 10.2 ft vs 8.5 ft. For fishing diversity, South Twin Lake also leads with 1 species.