Two Inlets Lake
Becker County, Minnesota578 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Two Inlets Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 60 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Two Inlets Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 577.98 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 7.33 walleye per gill net at Two Inlets Lake. DNR survey details →
Two Inlets Lake is a 578-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 60 feet (23-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Two Inlets Lake ranks #17 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Two Inlets Lake covers about 580 acres in Becker County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 24, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Two Inlets Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Two Inlets Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 24
- Deep water60 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. Two Inlets Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Two Inlets 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 Two Inlets Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Two Inlets Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Phosphorus 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.3 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.3µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Two Inlets Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Two Inlets Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 124 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Two Inlets Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Two Inlets Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (108,643 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 7.33 walleye per gill net at Two Inlets Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Two Inlets Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-30 (Targeted Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-30 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 30.18 | 2–10 in 2021-08-02 | 0.11 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 11.01 |
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.
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-07-30 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Two Inlets Lake on July 30th, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Two Inlets Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Two InletsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Two Inlets (1012)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Two InletsFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Two InletsPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
60 ft
Average depth
23 ft
Surface area
578 acres
Shoreline
7.3 mi
Littoral zone
29%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
144 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,447 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Two Inlets 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 Two Inlets Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Two Inlets Lake in Becker 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 Two Inlets Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Two Inlets Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 24
Earliest Mar 27, 2012 · Latest May 12, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 16
Earliest Oct 31, 2006 · Latest Nov 27, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 2
2016
23 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Two Inlets Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Two Inlets Lake (completed 1938), built primarily for recreation on the Hay Creek; gravity-type dam, 11 ft tall and 80 ft long.
- Surface area
- 600 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,900 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 150 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00020 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Two Inlets 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 MN03-0017-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Two Inlets Lake
Where is Two Inlets Lake?
- Two Inlets Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Two Inlets Lake?
- Two Inlets Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 60 ft. Surface area: 577.98 acres.
Is Two Inlets Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Two Inlets Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Two Inlets Lake?
- Two Inlets Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 124 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Two Inlets Lake?
- Two Inlets Lake has a maximum depth of 60 feet and an average depth of 23 feet. The lake covers 577.98 acres.
What fish are in Two Inlets Lake?
- Fish species found in Two Inlets Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, greater redhorse, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Two Inlets Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Two Inlets Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 2, 2021 caught 7.33 walleye per gill net at Two Inlets Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Two Inlets Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Two Inlets Lake thaw?
- Two Inlets Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 24. Ice typically forms around Nov 16. The open water season is approximately 206 days.
Does Two Inlets Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Two Inlets Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (108,643 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Two Inlets Lake?
- Two Inlets Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Two Inlets Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Two Inlets Lake?
- Two Inlets 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 Two Inlets Lake across LakeQuality
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Compare Two Inlets Lake With Nearby Lakes
Becker County · 19.5 ft
Hubbard County · 10.5 ft
Hubbard County · 11.2 ft
Hubbard County · 17 ft
Becker County · 25 ft
Becker County · 8 ft
Where this data comes from
167 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA167 samples · 2020–2025
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate