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LakeQuality

Green Lake vs Silver Creek Estuary Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Green Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Silver Creek Estuary Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Green Lake County, Wisconsin.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Green Lake and Silver Creek Estuary Lake are both in Wisconsin — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The grades are meaningfully apart: Green Lake grades a A while Silver Creek Estuary Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.

For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Green Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?

A

Green Lake

Green Lake County, Wisconsin

Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft.

D

Silver Creek Estuary Lake

Green Lake County, Wisconsin

No clarity data.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricGreen LakeSilver Creek Estuary Lake
Overall GradeA (Excellent)D (Poor)
Water Clarity13.5 ftNo data
Phosphorus38.1 µg/L125.5 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)4.4 µg/LNo data
Maximum Depth236 ft236 ft
Surface Area7,920 acres7,920 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species77
Trophic Statemesotrophichypereutrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Green Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Silver Creek Estuary Lake's Grade D. For fishing diversity, Green Lake also leads with 7 species.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.