Big Twin Lake

Martin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 46013300

DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Big Twin Lake since 2016, most recently yellow perch adults in 2025 (2,736 fish).

• Big Twin Lake has 9 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2025): walleye (7), yellow perch (2).
• The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 17,515 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 18 ft; surface area 461 acres, 444 littoral acres, 6.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 1.9 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, largemouth bass, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow perch.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: October 6, 2025 (targeted survey).
• Martin County, nearest town Trimont; DNR lake number (DOW) 46013300.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2025

Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.

Big Twin is a 457-acre lake located near the city of Trimont in Martin County. The lake has a maximum depth of 18.0 feet and is a class 43 lake. Big Twin is managed primarily for Walleye and secondarily for Black Crappie and Yellow Perch. Big Twin Lake was stocked with Lower Mississippi Strain (LMS) Walleye fingerlings in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020 (to finish the 2019 quota), and 2021 in an effort to get this strain established in additional waterbodies. Big Twin Lake was stocked with LMS Walleye because it has traditionally supported a good Walleye population and has historically had sporadic natural reproduction and thus likely has habitat for spawning walleye providing environmental conditions are conducive to natural reproduction. Big Twin has not been stocked since 2021 because natural reproduction has been adequate to maintain the population so far. The summer 2024 survey showed that naturally produced year-classes in 2022 and 2023 made up 78% of the fish aged in the gill net sample. In the 2025 sample, LMS contributed 66%, based on genetic analysis. Electrofishing was conducted in October 2025 to determine if natural reproduction was present and if stocking was needed. Young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleye were captured at a rate of 128.0 per hour, which indicates that natural reproduction occurred in Big Twin Lake in 2025. Analysis of fall electrofishing data by DNR staff indicated that a catch rate greater than 5 per hour can result in a successful year class and greater than 25 per hour often produces a year class. Therefore, potential exists for Big Twin Lake. Given the highest catch rate of Walleye in gill nets in 2024 and the high natural reproduction catch rates in 2022 (161.3 per hour), 2023 (182.6 per hour), and 2025 (128.0 per hour) stocking was not advised in 2025. Walleye fingerlings ranged from 8.7 to 10.6 inches and averaged 9.7 inches. These fish should have a high chance of survival to catchable sizes. Future fall electrofishing and summer gill netting every 4 years will continue to monitor the population and determine the amount of stocking that may be needed to maintain the population.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, October 6, 2025.

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