W Two Rivers Reservoir
St. Louis County, Minnesota967 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for W Two Rivers Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
W Two Rivers Reservoir in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 966.53 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2013 caught 5.50 northern pike per gill net at W Two Rivers Reservoir. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of W Two Rivers Reservoir, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 25 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
W Two Rivers Reservoir is a 967-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, W Two Rivers Reservoir ranks #57 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. W Two Rivers Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether W Two Rivers Reservoir 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 W Two Rivers Reservoir
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for W Two Rivers Reservoir, 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 6.4 ft. Phosphorus 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.5 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 29µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.5µg/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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about W Two Rivers Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
W Two Rivers Reservoir typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 52°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (52°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 54 field readings (2019–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full W Two Rivers Reservoir water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2013 caught 5.50 northern pike per gill net at W Two Rivers Reservoir.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows W Two Rivers Reservoir’s water-quality measurements separately. 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: 2013-06-17 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2013-06-17 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 137.57 | 3–11 in 2013-06-17 | 0.1 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 25.81 | 4–12 in 2013-06-17 | 0.37 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.03 | 5–8 in 2013-06-17 | 0.12 lb |
| White Sucker | 7.37 | 7–21 in 2013-06-17 | 2.25 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.66 | 3–5 in 2013-06-17 | 0.06 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.24 | 4–13 in 2013-06-17 | 0.21 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.
Black Bullhead
Brown Bullhead
Yellow Perch
White Sucker
From the 2013-06-17 survey
The West Two Rivers Reservoir (WTRR) is located two miles south of the town of Mountain Iron with its access via a concrete ramp on the northwest shore at the end of Co Rd 761. This 713 acre reservoir has a maximum depth of 27.0 feet and the water color at the time of the survey was green with an algae bloom. On June…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for W Two Rivers Reservoir. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — West Two Rivers ReservoirFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — West Two Rivers Reservoir (1783)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — West Two Rivers ReservoirPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
27 ft
Surface area
967 acres
Shoreline
30.8 mi
Littoral zone
36%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
35 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,394 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Fishing W Two Rivers Reservoir
EPA Impairment Status
W Two Rivers Reservoir 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, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0994-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about W Two Rivers Reservoir
Where is W Two Rivers Reservoir?
- W Two Rivers Reservoir 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 W Two Rivers Reservoir?
- W Two Rivers Reservoir in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 27 ft. Surface area: 966.53 acres.
Is W Two Rivers Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. W Two Rivers Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of W Two Rivers Reservoir?
- W Two Rivers Reservoir typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 54 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is W Two Rivers Reservoir?
- W Two Rivers Reservoir has a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake covers 966.53 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at W Two Rivers Reservoir?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2013 caught 5.50 northern pike per gill net at W Two Rivers Reservoir. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows W Two Rivers Reservoir’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at W Two Rivers Reservoir?
- Public access to W Two Rivers Reservoir 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.
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Where this data comes from
16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA16 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by 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