North Silver Lake
Martin County, Minnesota200 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for North Silver Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 30 ft max depth
- Limited data
North Silver Lake in Martin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 51.2 µg/L. Surface area: 200 acres.
North Silver Lake is a 200-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Martin County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 30 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Martin County, North Silver Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What North Silver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 23
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether North 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 North Silver Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for North Silver Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 51.2 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 68µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 51.2µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about North Silver Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
North Silver Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Oct (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full North Silver Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~30 ft est.
Surface area
200 acres
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for North Silver Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
19 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,207 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near North Silver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near North Silver Lake in Martin 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around North Silver Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near North Silver Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow North Silver Lake’s readings
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Fishing North Silver Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 23
Earliest Mar 10, 2026 · Latest Apr 29, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 29
Earliest Nov 10, 2018 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Mar 10
2026
30 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
North Silver Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the North Silver Lake (completed 1972), built primarily for recreation on the Blue Earth River-TR; earth-type dam, 8 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 200 ac
- Max storage
- 350 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Martin County Conservatory Club
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00374 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Martin County
Frequently asked questions about North Silver Lake
Where is North Silver Lake?
- North Silver Lake is a lake in Martin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of North Silver Lake?
- North Silver Lake in Martin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 68 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 51.2 µg/L. Surface area: 200 acres.
Is North Silver Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of North Silver Lake?
- North Silver Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is North Silver Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers North Silver Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 30 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 200 acres.
When does North Silver Lake thaw?
- North Silver Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 23. Ice typically forms around Nov 29. The open water season is approximately 251 days.
Can I fish at North Silver Lake?
- Public access to North Silver Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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.
Explore North Silver Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Martin County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
18 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
MNPCA18 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 3 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by fluorometer
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate