Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 18, 2022
Species recorded at First Silver Lake
13 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at First Silver Lake
No stocking record for First Silver Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Survey results in full
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.…
Common questions
What fish are in First Silver Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 13.67 walleye per gill net at First Silver Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 13 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was First Silver Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for First Silver Lake is dated July 18, 2022. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is First Silver Lake stocked?
No stocking record for First Silver Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how First Silver Lake fishes?
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.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near First Silver Lake
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