West Twin Lake (Lyon County)
Lyon County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 42007400
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at West Twin Lake (Lyon County) since 2017, most recently northern pike fingerlings in 2024 (442 fish).
- West Twin Lake (Lyon County) has 3 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2017-2024): northern pike (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is northern pike: 1,386 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 10 ft; surface area 220 acres, 220 littoral acres, 2.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Lyon County, nearest town Florence; DNR lake number (DOW) 42007400.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 442 | 66.0 |
| 2022 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 764 | 272.9 |
| 2017 | Northern Pike | adults | 180 | 225.0 |
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| O | county | - COUNTY OWNED PUBLIC ACCESS ON THE SE CORNER OF THE LAKE. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 81.00 | 81 | 0.06 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 11.00 | 11 | 0.97 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 10.00 | 10 | 2.96 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 7.00 | 7 | 0.22 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 3 | 4.04 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 9.67 | 58 | 0.21 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 6.33 | 38 | 0.95 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 4.00 | 24 | 5.18 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 6 | 0.08 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 6 | 3.16 |
| Green sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.11 |
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.
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…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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