West Twin Lake
Cook County, Minnesota134 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for West Twin Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
West Twin Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 133.56 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 29, 2005 caught 12.00 walleye per gill net at West Twin Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–22 inches. DNR survey details →
West Twin Lake is a 134-acre mesotrophic lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet (11-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, West Twin Lake ranks #5 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 West Twin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water9.8 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water37 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow 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 West 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 West Twin Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for West Twin 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 9.8 ft. Phosphorus 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.5µg/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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about West Twin Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 29, 2005 caught 12.00 walleye per gill net at West Twin Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Twin 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2005-08-29 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2005-08-29 (Standard Survey)
21 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 12.26 | 6–21 in 2005-08-29 | 1.82 lb |
| Walleye | 9.55 | 5–22 in 2005-08-29 | 0.4 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 3.00 |
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 2005-08-29 survey
The walleye catch in West Twin Lake was relatively high for a lake of this type; however, the 2005 catch was the lowest ever observed in this lake, historically. Walleye average size was low, but that has usually been the case in West Twin Lake, and the average size of the 2005 catch was similar to what has been seen…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for West 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 — West TwinFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — West Twin (1605)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — West TwinPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
37 ft
Average depth
11.3 ft
Surface area
134 acres
Shoreline
4 mi
Littoral zone
72%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,847 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- West 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 West Twin Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near West 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 West Twin Lake
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Follow West Twin Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing West Twin Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 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 West Twin Lake
Where is West Twin Lake?
- West 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 West Twin Lake?
- West Twin Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 133.56 acres.
Is West Twin Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is West Twin Lake?
- West Twin Lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet and an average depth of 11.3 feet. The lake covers 133.56 acres.
What fish are in West Twin Lake?
- Fish species found in West Twin Lake include walleye, white sucker. West Twin Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at West Twin Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 29, 2005 caught 12.00 walleye per gill net at West Twin Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–22 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Twin 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.
Are there boat ramps on West Twin Lake?
- West Twin Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include West Twin Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at West Twin Lake?
- West 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 West Twin Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
43 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
MNPCA43 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