Silver Lake
Cass County, Minnesota121 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Silver Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
Silver Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 121.25 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 21, 2017 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Silver Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–35 inches. DNR survey details →
Silver Lake is a 121-acre mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Silver Lake ranks #24 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Silver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 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 Silver Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Silver Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.5 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.5µg/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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Silver Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Silver Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 110 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Silver Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 21, 2017 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Silver Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–35 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Silver Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-08-21 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2017-08-21 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 26.41 | 2–8 in 2017-08-21 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.05 | 5–19 in 2017-08-21 | 0.82 lb |
| Black Crappie | 14.45 | 4–11 in 2017-08-21 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.17 | 4–7 in 2017-08-21 | 0.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.80 | 12–35 in 2017-08-21 | 2.79 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.45 | 5–6 in 2003-06-30 | 0.14 lb |
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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
From the 2017-08-21 survey
Silver Lake is a 121-acre lake located southeast of Whipholt, Minnesota. A public access is located on the northeast shore of the lake. The access road goes south off of National Forest Road 2312. The lake is entirely within the Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Reservation. The Minnesota Department of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Silver Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SilverFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Silver (1583)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SilverPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
121 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
57%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,348 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Silver LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Silver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Silver Lake in Cass 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 Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Silver Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2023–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.6 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
Where is Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake is a lake in Cass 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 Lake?
- Silver Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 121.25 acres.
Is 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 Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in October, from 110 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 121.25 acres.
What fish are in Silver Lake?
- Fish species found in Silver Lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch. Silver Lake is located in Cass County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Silver Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 21, 2017 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Silver Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–35 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Silver Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Silver Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Silver Lake?
- 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
61 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX47 samples · 2023–2024 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA14 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory