First Silver Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota529 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.
- zebra mussel
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
First Silver Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 529.36 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 13.67 walleye per gill net at First Silver Lake. DNR survey details →
First Silver Lake is a 529-acre lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 43 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-05-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
First Silver Lake covers about 530 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 13, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around First Silver Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What First Silver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
- Deep water43 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether First Silver Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for First Silver Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for First Silver Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data.
Ask about First Silver Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 13.67 walleye per gill net at First Silver Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows First Silver Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-18 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-18 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 87.14 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 15.11 | 8–17 in 2022-07-18 | 0.88 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.00 | 3–8 in 2022-07-18 | 0.2 lb |
| Black Crappie | 11.28 | 7–11 in 2022-07-18 | 0.52 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 10.57 |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Black Crappie
From the 2022-07-18 survey
Silver Lake is a 547-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County one mile north of Battle Lake, MN. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of grasslands interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 43 feet; however, 42% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth.…
Lake Details
Max depth
43 ft
Surface area
529 acres
Shoreline
4.1 mi
Littoral zone
43%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- West Battle Lake (West)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near First Silver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near First Silver Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near First Silver Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow First Silver Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing First Silver Lake
- → First Silver Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → First Silver Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → First Silver Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from First Silver Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.07 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Apr 2, 2000 · Latest May 10, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 16, 1997 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 20
2020
23 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about First Silver Lake
Where is First Silver Lake?
- First Silver Lake is a lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of First Silver Lake?
- First Silver Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 529.36 acres.
Is First Silver Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is First Silver Lake?
- First Silver Lake has a maximum depth of 43 feet. The lake covers 529.36 acres.
What fish are in First Silver Lake?
- Fish species found in First Silver Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. First Silver Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at First Silver Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 13.67 walleye per gill net at First Silver Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows First Silver Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does First Silver Lake thaw?
- First Silver Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 227 days.
Are there boat ramps on First Silver Lake?
- First Silver Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include West Battle Lake (West). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at First Silver Lake?
- First Silver Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA2 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate