East Twin Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota163 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for East Twin Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
East Twin Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 163.33 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 25, 2017 caught 118.41 bluegill per hour of electrofishing at East Twin Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–9 inches. DNR survey details →
East Twin Lake is a 163-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 45 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, East Twin Lake ranks #31 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-08-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What East Twin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
- Deep water45 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. East Twin Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. 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.
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.2 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 8µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about East Twin Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 25, 2017 caught 118.41 bluegill per hour of electrofishing at East Twin Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–9 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 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-07-25 (Targeted Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2017-07-25 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 32.22 | 3–9 in 2017-06-19 | 0.2 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 18.01 | ||
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.94 | 5–13 in 2017-06-19 | 0.6 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 7.92 | 5–21 in 2017-06-19 | 0.94 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
From the 2017-07-25 survey
East Twin Lake is a 146 acre lake located two miles northwest of Nisswa in Crow Wing County. East Twin is located in the Crow Wing River watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 45'. A nearshore survey was conducted to assess the populations of both game and non-game fish species. Ten 100' long sampling stations…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for East Twin Lake. 4 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 (0025)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — East TwinFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — East TwinPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
45 ft
Surface area
163 acres
Shoreline
2.7 mi
Littoral zone
54%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,217 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
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Stays near East Twin Lake
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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 Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.43 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.16 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 16
Earliest Mar 27, 2000 · Latest May 4, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 10, 1993 · Latest Dec 14, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 28
2022
36 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
East Twin Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0407-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about East Twin Lake
Where is East Twin Lake?
- East Twin Lake is a lake in Crow Wing 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 Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45 ft. Surface area: 163.33 acres.
Is East Twin Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. East Twin Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is East Twin Lake?
- East Twin Lake has a maximum depth of 45 feet. The lake covers 163.33 acres.
What fish are in East Twin Lake?
- Fish species found in East Twin Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. East Twin Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at East Twin Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 25, 2017 caught 118.41 bluegill per hour of electrofishing at East Twin Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–9 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 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does East Twin Lake thaw?
- East Twin Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 225 days.
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
24 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA24 samples · 2020–2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate