Minnesota · St. Louis County
West Two Rivers Reservoir Fishing guide
West Two Rivers Reservoir is a 967-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 27 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 17 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 3 times, most recently in 2013, with northern pike, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 13 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeJust a few5.5per gill net24"Typical39"Biggest
Lengths measured · 47 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 47 fish
2013Lengths measured · 27 fish
2003CrappieJust a few5.3per trap net8"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 58 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 58 fish
2013Lengths measured · 108 fish
2003Yellow perchFair numbers3.2per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 33 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 33 fish
2013Lengths measured · 68 fish
2003Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish West Two Rivers Reservoir through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 17 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Yellow perch
- Spring
- Perch are draping eggs over flooded cover and weed stems on the shallow flats. At 17 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Perch are spread over sand-grass flats and the first weed edges in loose packs.
- Summer
- Perch are over deeper soft-bottom flats and the basin, on the bottom and in schools.
- Fall
- Perch are roaming the mid-depth flats in loose schools, chasing young-of-year bait while it is still shallow.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Yellow perch | Crappie |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 39" | 8" | 13" |
| 2003 | 30" | 7" | 13" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2013 survey
The West Two Rivers Reservoir (WTRR) is located two miles south of the town of Mountain Iron with its access via a concrete ramp on the northwest shore at the end of Co Rd 761. This 713 acre reservoir has a maximum depth of 27.0 feet and the water color at the time of the survey was green with an algae bloom. On June 17, 2013 the reservoir was thermally stratified with a surface temperature of 67F, and 50F at a depth of 19.0 feet. Adequate oxygen for fish was present to a depth of 13.5 feet.
The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 68.3 fish/net, which is lower than the historic average of 108.4 fish/net. The overall trapnet catch rate for all fish combined was 135.7 fish/net, which is very close to the historic average. Black and brown bullheads made up 71% of the gillnet and 91% of the trapnet catches. The main gamefish sampled were northern pike and panfish.
Read the full DNR narrative
The northern pike gillnet catch rate was 5.5 fish/net which is better than half of other similar lakes throughout the state. The average weight was quite impressive at 4.3 lbs/fish. Average length was 25.0 inches which is the second highest on record for the reservoir. Lengths ranged from 13.0 to 39.0 inches with this survey capturing the largest pike specimen ever recorded on the lake. Growth was average when compared to other pike lakes in the Tower Fisheries Management Area. Ages ranged from 1 to 10 years old. Of 33 pike examined for diseases and parasites, 12 (36%) were infested with neascus (black spot).
Forty seven black crappie were captured for a catch rate of 5.3 fish/trap net which is better than half of other similar lakes throughout the state. The average weight was 0.4 lb/fish and the average length was 8.0 inches which is the highest on record. Lengths ranged from 5.0 to 13.0 inches. Growth rates seem quite good when compared to other crappie lakes in the Tower Area. Ages ranged from 2 to 8 years old. No diseases or parasites were detected on any of the sampled black crappie.
The yellow perch gillnet catch rate was 3.2 fish/net which is slightly below the lakes historical average. Average weight was 0.1 lb/fish which was somewhat small when compared to other similar lakes throughout the state. Lengths ranged from 6.0 to 8.0 inches with an average of 6.5 inches.
Black bullhead gillnet and trapnet catches dominated both gear types and were extremely high when compared to other similar lakes throughout the state. Historically both of these catch rates have been quite high with an average gillnet catch rate of 72.5 fish/net and trapnet catch rate of 91.9 fish/net. Lengths ranged from 4.0 to 11.5 inches with an average of 7.5 inches.
The brown bullhead catches were also fairly substantial: 5.3 fish/gill net and 22.7 fish/trap net. Lengths from the trap net caught fish ranged from 4.0 to 12.0 inches with an average of 10.0 inches, showing a very slight increase in sizes through time.
Additional fish species sampled in trap nets included pumpkinseed, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, and golden shiner.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
West Two Rivers Reservoir fishing reports
Recent reports on West Two Rivers Reservoir from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- West Two Rivers Reservoir (trailer launch)
- West Two Rivers Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
West Two Rivers Reservoir depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Mashkenode Lake · 128 ac · 2.8 mi
- Mott Pit · 18 ac · 3.3 mi
- Kinney Lake · 45 ac · 3.7 mi
- Manganika Lake · 168 ac · 3.8 mi
- Little Elbow Lake · 5 ac · 4 mi
- Elbow Lake · 169 ac · 4.1 mi
- Silver Lake · 46 ac · 5.9 mi
- Iron Chief Complex Lake · 207 ac · 6.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is West Two Rivers Reservoir?
West Two Rivers Reservoir reaches 27 ft at its deepest point; about 36% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is West Two Rivers Reservoir?
West Two Rivers Reservoir covers 967 acres with about 30.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in West Two Rivers Reservoir?
DNR Secchi readings on West Two Rivers Reservoir average 17 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in West Two Rivers Reservoir?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2013) record northern pike, crappie, yellow perch.
Is West Two Rivers Reservoir stocked?
No stocking is on record for West Two Rivers Reservoir in the DNR's stocking database.
Does West Two Rivers Reservoir have a public access?
Yes. West Two Rivers Reservoir has 2 public access sites, including West Two Rivers Reservoir (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in West Two Rivers Reservoir?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 39"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2003.
When was West Two Rivers Reservoir last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed West Two Rivers Reservoir in 2013, the most recent of 3 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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