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LakeQuality

East Twin Lake

St. Louis County, Minnesota224 acresView mapDirections

Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for East Twin Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
13.1 ft
Clearer than most
Secchi · sampled 2025
Phosphorus
7 µg/L
Less phosphorus than most
Measured by Minnesota PCA
Chlorophyll-a
2.7 µg/L
Less algae than most
Measured by Minnesota PCA
Max depth
51 ft
Bathymetric survey
Area
224 acres
Surface area
Shoreline
6.8 mi
Measured length
  • Impaired · Mercury
  • 51 ft max depth
  • Public access
  • Limited data

East Twin Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 51 ft. Surface area: 224.28 acres.

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East Twin Lake is a 224-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 51 feet. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-07-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What East Twin Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water13.1 ft of visibility
  • Fishing8 species recorded
  • Deep water51 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

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.

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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.

Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft. Phosphorus 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 38.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)13.1ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus7µg/LMeasured, not scored

The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential.

Chlorophyll-a (algae)2.7µg/LMeasured, not scored

The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water.

Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.38Oligotrophic
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.

Lake Details

Max depth

51 ft

Surface area

224 acres

Shoreline

6.8 mi

Littoral zone

82%

Share shallower than 15 ft

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

2 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,522 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Stays via Stay22

Stays near East Twin Lake

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Top-rated places to stay near East Twin Lake

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Fish Species

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing East Twin Lake

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

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0163-01 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County

Frequently asked questions about East Twin Lake

Where is East Twin Lake?

East Twin Lake is a lake in St. Louis 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 St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 51 ft. Surface area: 224.28 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

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.

Swimming on this page ↑

How deep is East Twin Lake?

East Twin Lake has a maximum depth of 51 feet. The lake covers 224.28 acres.

What fish are in East Twin Lake?

Fish species found in East Twin Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. East Twin Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

Fish on this page ↑

Can I fish at East Twin Lake?

Public access to East Twin Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.

Where this data comes from

9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface WaterMNPCA9 samples · 2025

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

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder