East Twin Lake
Cook County, Minnesota173 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for East Twin Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 19 ft max depth
- Public access
East Twin Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 172.8 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 2005 caught 13.50 walleye per gill net at East Twin Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–25 inches. DNR survey details →
East Twin Lake is a 173-acre mesotrophic lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 19 feet (8-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including walleye and white sucker. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Cook County, East Twin Lake ranks #37 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What East Twin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether East Twin Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for East Twin Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for East Twin Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft. Phosphorus 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.9 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.9µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about East Twin Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 2005 caught 13.50 walleye per gill net at East Twin Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Twin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2005-08-16 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2005-08-16 (Standard Survey)
21 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 23.39 | 6–21 in 2005-08-16 | 1.69 lb |
| Walleye | 14.83 | 8–25 in 2005-08-16 | 0.78 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
White Sucker
Walleye
From the 2005-08-16 survey
Walleye abundance in East Twin Lake in 2005 was high compared to similar lakes, but the gill net catch in this assessment was lower than past catches observed in this lake. Although walleye as large as 25.5 inches were taken, most were smaller than 14 inches. All of the walleye collected in 2005 had been produced…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for East Twin Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — East TwinFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — East Twin (1604)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — East TwinPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Average depth
8.3 ft
Surface area
173 acres
Shoreline
3.1 mi
Littoral zone
93%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,837 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- East Twin LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near East Twin Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near East Twin Lake in Cook County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near East Twin Lake
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Follow East Twin Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing East Twin Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.2 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about East Twin Lake
Where is East Twin Lake?
- East Twin Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of East Twin Lake?
- East Twin Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 172.8 acres.
Is East Twin Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is East Twin Lake?
- East Twin Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet and an average depth of 8.3 feet. The lake covers 172.8 acres.
What fish are in East Twin Lake?
- Fish species found in East Twin Lake include walleye, white sucker. East Twin Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at East Twin Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 16, 2005 caught 13.50 walleye per gill net at East Twin Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Twin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on East Twin Lake?
- East Twin Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include East Twin Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at East Twin Lake?
- East Twin Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore East Twin Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA42 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory