West Twin Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota121 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for West Twin Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
West Twin Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 120.53 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 2015 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at West Twin Lake. DNR survey details →
West Twin Lake is a 121-acre mesotrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, West Twin Lake ranks #28 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What West Twin Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
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.
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft. Phosphorus 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.1 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.1µg/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. | 49 | 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.
Water Temperature
West Twin Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 66°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 70°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 264 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full West Twin Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 2015 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at West Twin Lake.
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 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2015-06-29 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2015-06-29 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 20.52 | 4–10 in 2015-06-29 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.96 | 4–8 in 2015-06-29 | 0.12 lb |
| Black Crappie | 7.01 | 3–12 in 2015-06-29 | 0.29 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 5.95 | 4–7 in 2015-06-29 | 0.08 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.18 | 3–7 in 2015-06-29 | 0.08 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
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Golden Shiner
From the 2015-06-29 survey
A standard survey was conducted on West Twin Lake during the summer of 2015 to evaluate and update information about fish populations and to evaluate the cessation of the walleye fry stocking program that was discontinued in 2005. Walleye and Black Crappie are the primary management species for West Twin Lake. Walleye…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for West 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 — West TwinFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — West Twin (0307)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — West TwinFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — West TwinPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Surface area
121 acres
Shoreline
2.2 mi
Littoral zone
85%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,296 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near West Twin Lake
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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 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+73.05 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.07 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about West Twin Lake
Where is West Twin Lake?
- West 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 West Twin Lake?
- West Twin Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 120.53 acres.
Is West Twin Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of West Twin Lake?
- West Twin Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 264 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is West Twin Lake?
- West Twin Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 120.53 acres.
What fish are in West Twin Lake?
- Fish species found in West Twin Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow perch. West Twin Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at West Twin Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 29, 2015 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at West Twin Lake. 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 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at West Twin Lake?
- Public access to West 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.
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Where this data comes from
364 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa (MN)
FONDULAC_WQX364 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Color, APHA Platinum-Cobalt
- For determination of Copper by the Bicinchoninate method.
- 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder