West Twin

West Twin Lake is a 232-acre, bowl shaped lake, which has a maximum depth of 10 feet and is located near Florence in Lyon County. The lake has been aerated since 1985 to attempt to reduce the frequency and/or severity of winterkills. Currently the Balaton Sportsmen's Club uses an "Ice Eater" system or a surface agitator type of system to aerate the lake. A County ordinance restricts motor use on West Twin Lake to protect the diverse aquatic plant community that is present. West Twin Lake is managed primarily for Northern Pike and Yellow Perch, and secondarily for Bluegill and Largemouth Bass. A standard survey using 1 gill net and 6 trap nets was conducted June 3, 2024, to assess the fish community. Sixteen Northern Pike were caught in 6 trap nets (1.0 per trap net) and 1 gill net (10.0 per gill net) during the 2024 survey. The Northern Pike trap net and gill net catch rates were the highest observed for this lake. Lengths of Northern Pike ranged from 16.6 to 32.7 inches and averaged 25.3 inches in gill nets and 22.2 inches in trap nets. Body condition and health of Northern Pike was excellent, indicating an abundant prey base. The size distribution and condition of Northern Pike in the sample was very good and angling should be excellent with 56% over the minimum harvest size of 24 inches. Yellow Perch were captured at a rate of 81 per gill net and 1 per trap net, with catch rates that exceed or are like catch rates in other similar lakes. Lengths of Yellow Perch ranged from 3.9 to 8.3 inches and averaged 5.7 inches in gill nets and 6.3 inches in trap nets. Yellow Perch were in excellent body condition and health and appeared to be foraging adequately. Yellow Perch angling may be tough if anglers are looking to harvest some for a meal, however, the forage based that is provided to Northern Pike with the size and abundance of Yellow Perch is excellent. No Largemouth Bass were sampled in 2024. During 2020, daytime electrofishing targeting Largemouth Bass resulted in a catch rate of 22 per hour. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 3.8 to 16.2 inches and averaged 11.1 inches. They should be much bigger in 2025. The Largemouth Bass seem to be sustaining themselves through natural reproduction. West Twin Lake has excellent habitat for Largemouth Bass that should result in a stable or increasing Largemouth Bass population. Angling could be very good for Largemouth Bass in 2025 and beyond. Bluegill relative abundance declined from 61.1 per trap net in 2020 to 6.7 per trap net in 2024. The 2024 catch rate is within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (1.2 to 20.0 per trap net). At least 2 year-classes of Bluegill were suspected by analyzing the length frequency distribution, with lengths ranging from 5.0 to 7.7 inches and an average length of 5.9 inches. Body condition and health of Bluegill was above average indicating no problem finding abundant food. Other species sampled included Black Bullhead (11.0 per gill net and 6.3 per trap net), Green Sunfish (0.2 per trap net), and Walleye (3.0 per gill net and 4.0 per trap net). Interestingly, Walleye are not stocked in West Twin Lake and most likely have made their way in via angler stocking or natural reproduction. In 2020, there was evidence of natural reproduction, so a small population of Walleye may persist in West Twin Lake.

West Twin Lake is a 232-acre, shallow southern Minnesota Lake with a maximum depth of 10.0 feet. The nearest town to West Twin Lake is Florence, approximately 21 miles southwest of Marshall, in Lyon County. The lake has been aerated since 1985 to reduce the frequency and/or severity of winterkills. Currently the Balaton Sportsmen's Club uses an "Ice Eater" system to aerate the lake. A County ordinance restricts motor use to electric or paddle only on West Twin Lake to protect the diverse native aquatic plant community that is present. West Twin Lake is managed primarily for Northern Pike and Yellow Perch, and secondarily for Bluegill and Largemouth Bass. A fish survey using trap nets and daytime electrofishing was conducted during the summer of 2020. Five Northern Pike were caught in six trap nets (0.8 per trap net). The Northern Pike trap net catch rate was the highest observed for this lake. Lengths of Northern Pike ranged from just shy of 20 inches to 30.5 inches and averaged 22.6 inches. Current southern Minnesota bag limits are 2 Northern Pike over 24 inches in length, so some harvestable fish can be found in West Twin. In addition to harvestable size Northern Pike, West Twin Lake Northern Pike are heavy bodied healthy looking fish! Yellow Perch were captured at a rate of 4.8 per trap net, exceeding the upper expected catch rate value for similar shallow lakes (3.76 per trap net). Lengths of Yellow Perch ranged from just under 6 inches to nearly 9.5 inches and averaged 6.8 inches. Yellow Perch were in fair condition with a somewhat slim body shape. West Twin Lake is currently dominated by smaller sized Yellow Perch that would benefit from increased prey abundance and some angler harvest to thin the population and reduce competition for food. Statewide, the MN DNR is researching slow growth and lack of large Yellow Perch presence. More information on this subject may help to boost populations statewide. The high abundance of Bluegills during the survey may influence Yellow Perch success due to competition. During 2020, daytime electrofishing of Largemouth Bass resulted in a catch rate of 22 per hour. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from just under 4 inches to just above 16 inches and averaged 11 inches. The Largemouth Bass do not require stocking and maintain themselves through natural reproduction. West Twin Lake has excellent habitat for Largemouth Bass that should result in a stable or increasing Largemouth Bass population. West Twin Lake has the potential to produce big Largemouth Bass, and several have been caught in the past. The 2020 Bluegill catch rate was the highest ever recorded for West Twin Lake. The catch rate of 61.1 per trap net was more than 5 times greater than the previous record of 5.7 per trap net in 2012. The 2020 catch rate exceeds the upper expected catch rate value for other shallow southern Minnesota lakes (20.0 per trap net). Several different ages of Bluegill are present, ranging in length from 4.5 to nearly 8 inches with an average just shy of 6 inches. Condition and health of Bluegill was above average with many plump and potentially fast growing fish! Other species sampled included Black Bullhead (30 fish with a catch rate of 5.0 per trap net), Green Sunfish (1 fish), and Walleye (7 fish with a catch rate of 1.17 per trap net). Interestingly, Walleye are not stocked in West Twin Lake and most likely have made their way in via angler stocking or natural reproduction. In 2020 there was evidence of natural reproduction, so a small population of Walleye may persist in West Twin Lake with some really plump and healthy fish present from time to time.

West Twin Lake is a 232-acre, class 43 lake, which has a maximum depth of 10.0 feet and is located near Florence in Lyon County. The lake has been aerated with a helixor aeration system since 1985 to reduce the frequency and/or severity of winterkills. A Lincoln County ordinance restricts motor use on West Twin Lake to protect the diverse aquatic plant community that is present. West Twin Lake is managed primarily for Northern Pike and Yellow Perch, and secondarily for Bluegill and Largemouth Bass. Despite aeration, dissolved oxygen levels decreased to 0.6 mg/l in March of 2019, below the 2.0 mg/l threshold for many fish species. At ice-off, anglers reported seeing dead fish at West Twin lake. To determine if a fish kill occurred during the winter of 2018-2019, an electrofishing survey was conducted on April 26, 2019. West Twin likely experienced a partial winterkill that was not severe, as four game fish species were sampled including Bluegill (46.0 per hour), Largemouth Bass (10.0 per hour), Walleye (2.0 per hour), Yellow Perch (10.0 per hour). Multiple year classes of Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, and Yellow Perch were observed. Adults of each species were present and should be able to repopulate the lake without supplemental stocking.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Perch, and Green Sunfish in West Twin. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for West Twin. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

West Twin has a maximum depth of 10 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in West Twin is from 2024.

No invasive species are on record for West Twin in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.