East Twin

East Twin Lake is located approximately 6 miles NW of Ely within the Superior National Forest. West Twin Lake is a separate basin attached by a shallow navigable channel and is managed with East Twin as one lake. This scenic lake is surrounded by a coniferous forest and its shorelines are considered to be lightly developed by area standards. The most common access to East Twin Lake is by the Dead River. Dead River has a navigable channel connecting nearby Burntside Lake and East Twin. There are also portages from Everett Lake and the North Arm of Burntside for users accessing by canoe. There are 4 campsites on East Twin with 2 additional sites located on West Twin for overnight use or day use options. During the winter months a popular snowmobile trail crosses the lake. East Twin Lake is considered an infested water with the discovery of spiny water fleas from Burntside Lake in 2010. Seven species of fish were sampled during the 2018 survey of East Twin Lake. Yellow perch (52%) and northern pike (34%) were the most common species sampled in the gill nets. Bluegill (77%) and black crappie (20%) dominated the trap net catch. Yellow perch numbers in 2018 (6.3/gill net) were above the historic average (2.7/gill net) for this lake. The average perch sampled was 6.3 inches, with approximately 66% of the perch between 5 and 6 inches long. The largest perch sampled was 8.0 inches. Northern pike numbers in 2018 (4.2/gill net) were above the historic average (2.8/gill net) for this lake and also above average (2.8/gill net) when compared to other lakes in the area that are similar. The average pike sampled measured 22.7 inches which is larger than the historical average of 20.9 inches. The largest pike sampled in 2018 was 32.1 inches long. Bluegill abundance in 2018 (47.7/trap net) was much higher than the historical average (10.8/trap net) for this lake and above average (10.3/trap net) compared to other similar area lakes. The average bluegill sampled was 5.6 inches long and about 5 years old. The largest bluegill recorded measured 8.7 inches. Black crappie numbers in 2018 (12.3/trap net) were above the historic average (2.0/trap net) and in fact were the highest recorded from East Twin Lake. The average crappie sampled was 8.1 inches which is identical to the historical average on this lake. The largest crappie sampled was 10.4 inches long. Walleye fingerlings have been stocked biennially during even-numbered years on East Twin Lake. Historically the average gill net catch has been low (2.0/gill net). During the 2018 survey no walleye were sampled from the gill nets and only two were sampled from the trap nets. This is the first time on East Twin Lake that no walleye were sampled from the gill nets.

East and West Twin Lakes are managed as one lake: Twin Lake. Twin Lake is located east of the north arm of Burntside Lake off the Echo Trail in northern St. Louis County. Access to the lake is via the Dead River from Burntside Lake or a 70 yard portage from Everett Lake. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical and chemical characteristics. Twin Lake is in lake class 10. Lakes in this lake class are small in size (mean: 100 acres), have high amounts of area that are 15 feet or less (mean percent: 52), and with clear water. Anglers who make the long trip into Twin Lake can expect to catch a variety of species including northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, and yellow perch. Northern pike have an abundance that is typical of other lake class 10 lakes. Pike ranged in length from 18.4 inches to 35.1 inches with a mean length and weight of 24.4 inches and 3.4 pounds. There is a low density population of walleye in Twin Lake. Numbers can be considerably higher in the early spring however because of spawning walleye from Burntside Lake. Mean length and weight of walleye in Twin Lake was 16.6 inches and 1.7 pounds. The largest walleye captured in 2011 was 29 inches. Walleye is stocked in even-numbered years. Walleye aged over the past seven assessments showed that 56 of 63 were from stocked years. The most abundant species that anglers can expect to catch is bluegill. Their abundance is on the high range of what you would expect to find in this lake class. Bluegill are generally small with few fish greater than seven inches. Black crappie are also available for anglers however, none were captured over 9.3 inches. Other fish sampled include yellow perch, pumpkinseed, rock bass, and white sucker. Twin Lake was selected for fish index of biotic integrity (IBI) sampling. This index is designed to help determine the overall health of the biological fish community of the lake. This type of sampling will typically capture the non-game species and young-of-year game species. For Twin Lake, ten species were sampled. Golden shiner and tadpole madtom were non-game species sampled. Black crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch young-of-the-year were also sampled. Twin Lake was designated as infested with spiny waterflea in 2010 due to its connection to Burntside Lake. As of the 2011 survey, no spiny waterflea were observed. For further information on how to prevent the spread of spiny waterflea, follow links to Invasive Species on the DNR website: www.mndnr.gov

Twin Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 10, which consists of 76 lakes in northeast Minnesota that are small and have very soft (unmineralized) and infertile water. Twin Lake is larger, shallower, and has a more irregular shoreline shape than most of the lakes in this lake class. Twin Lake ranks as mesotrophic according to Carlson's Trophic State Index. East Twin Lake was thermally stratified on 06/25/2007 with a surface temperature of 72 F and a bottom temperature of 52 F. Adequate oxygen for fish (more than 2 ppm) was retained to a depth of 16 ft, where the temperature was 56 F. There is a rocky rapids at the inlet from Everett Lake that probably prevents upstream fish movement. The outlet to Burntside Lake (Dead River) is navigable, with a few stretches less than 2 ft deep. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline of Twin Lake are dominated by ledgerock, rubble and boulder, detritus, and sand. Aquatic vegetation is sparse except for a dense patch at the outlet; the most common plants are water shield, burreed, and filamentous algae. Most of the land surrounding Twin Lake is in Federal ownership, but about 25 percent of the shore land, mostly where the east and west basins of Twin Lake join, and along the west shore of East Twin Lake, is privately owned. There were three summer cabins on the lake in 2003, but additional development has since occurred on the west shore of East Twin Lake, accessed by the Hanson Lake Road. Public access to Twin Lake is by boat up the Dead River and by portage from Everett Lake (10 rods) or the North Arm of Burntside Lake (230 rods). Fish sampling in the 2007 fish population assessment was done with six standard survey gillnets and nine standard survey trapnets. Eleven previous fisheries investigations, dating back to 1966, used 5-6 gillnets and 5-10 trapnets. The total catch of fish (all species combined) in the gillnets in 2007 of 13 fish/net (14 lb/net) was near the median for this lake class and was similar to the median catch of 11 fish/net (13 lb/net) in all investigations on this lake. Lake Class 10 is one of the least productive lake classes in northeast Minnesota, in terms of gillnet catches of fish. The Twin Lake gillnet catch in 2007 was dominated by northern pike. Yellow perch numbers in 2007 were higher than in previous investigations, while walleye numbers were lower. The total catch of fish in the trapnets in 2007 of 22 fish/net (7 lb/net) was similar to the median catch of 15 fish/net (7 lb/net) in all investigations on this lake. The trapnet catch in 2007 was dominated by bluegill sunfish and black crappie. Bluegill numbers in 2007 (16.4/trapnet) were in the third quartile for this lake class and were higher than the median bluegill catch of 10.8/trapnet (range: 2.1-72.5/trapnet) in all investigations on Twin Lake. Bluegill numbers in 2007 were lower than the most recent investigations in 2003 (72.7/trapnet) and 2000 (40.0/trapnet) due to fewer numbers of bluegill age three and older. Bluegill sizes in 2007 averaged 5.1" (0.12 lb), which was in the second quartile for this lake class and was smaller than the average size of 5.6" in all investigations on this lake. None of the 152 bluegill captured in 2007 were 8" or larger. Most bluegill in 2007 were ages two, four, and five. Growth of bluegill captured in 2007 was somewhat slower than normal (in the second quartile) by area standards. Black crappie numbers in 2007 (3.8/trapnet) were in the third quartile for this lake class and were higher than the median catch of 2.0/trapnet (range: 0.1-7.8/trapnet) in all investigations on this lake. Crappie sizes in 2007 averaged 7.9" (0.28 lb), which was in the second quartile for this lake class and was similar to the average size of 8.2" in all investigations on this lake. The largest crappie in 2007 was 10.8". Most crappie captured in 2007 were age two, four, and five. Growth of crappie captured in 2007 was normal by area standards. Northern pike numbers in 2007 (4.7/gillnet) were in the third quartile for this lake class and were higher than the median catch of 2.8/gillnet (range: 2.0-5.2/gillnet) in all investigations on this lake. Pike sizes in 2007 averaged 22.0" (2.8 lb), which was in the third quartile for this lake class and was larger than the average size of 20.6" in all investigations on this lake. The largest pike captured in 2007 was 38.6". Most pike captured in 2007 were ages three and four. Growth of pike captured in 2007 was slower than normal by area standards. One of the pike examined in 2007 had a large peeled potato in its gut. Walleye numbers in 2007 (0.3/gillnet) were in the first quartile for this lake class and were lower than the median catch of 2.0/gillnet in all investigations on this lake. Only four walleye were caught in the gillnets and trapnets combined; the largest (caught in a trapnet) was 29.5". Walleye fingerlings have been stocked every other year in Twin Lake. All three of the walleye aged in 2007 were from the stocked years of 2002 and 2004. Growth of these three walleye was normal by area standards. Yellow perch numbers in 2007 (6.7/gillnet) were in the third quartile for this lake class and were higher than the median catch of 2.7/gillnet in all investigations on this lake. Perch sizes in this lake have generally been small; the largest perch in 2007 was 8.1". Few largemouth or smallmouth bass were captured in standard gillnets or trapnets in 2007 or in any previous investigation on Twin Lake. Bass are probably more abundant than indicated by these investigations because they are "net shy" and difficult to catch in standard sampling nets. Good numbers of young-of-year largemouth bass were captured in the small mesh trapnets in 2003. A few of the bluegill sunfish and northern pike examined in 2007 were infected with neascus. Some of the yellow perch were infected with yellow grub. Neascus and yellow grub are common parasites that are native to the area. They cannot infect humans, are often removed by filleting fish, and are killed at temperatures used to cook fish.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, and Bluegill in East Twin. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for East Twin. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

East Twin has a maximum depth of 22 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in East Twin is from 2018. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

Yes — East Twin has confirmed spiny waterflea. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.