Silver Island Lake
Lake County, Minnesota1,239 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Silver Island Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Silver Island Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 1238.88 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Silver Island Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 15 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Silver Island Lake is a 1,239-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 16 feet (8-foot average). The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and lake whitefish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 34 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Silver Island Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Silver Island Lake covers about 1,200 acres in Lake County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Silver Island Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Silver Island Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water1,239 acres
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. Silver Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Silver Island 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 Silver Island Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Silver Island 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 4.4 ft. Phosphorus 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.9 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Silver Island Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Silver Island Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 70°F) and coldest in Sep (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2019–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Silver Island Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Average depth
7.9 ft
Surface area
1,239 acres
Shoreline
16.9 mi
Littoral zone
99%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
33 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,631 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Silver Island LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Silver Island Lake
- Silver Island Rustic Campground1.0 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Silver Island Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Silver Island Lake in Lake 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 Silver Island 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Silver Island Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Silver Island Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0219-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Island Lake
Where is Silver Island Lake?
- Silver Island Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Silver Island Lake?
- Silver Island Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 1238.88 acres.
Is Silver Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Silver Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Silver Island Lake?
- Silver Island Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 27 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Silver Island Lake?
- Silver Island Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet and an average depth of 7.9 feet. The lake covers 1238.88 acres.
What fish are in Silver Island Lake?
- Fish species found in Silver Island Lake include black crappie, bluegill, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, sunfish, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Silver Island Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Silver Island Lake?
- Silver Island Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Silver Island Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Silver Island Lake?
- Silver Island 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.
Are there campgrounds on Silver Island Lake?
- Silver Island Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Silver Island Rustic Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Silver Island Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Lake County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
16 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
MNPCA16 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles