Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 21, 2017
Silver Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Silver Lake average 16.05 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 4 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 21, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches. In Cass County, Minnesota, Silver Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 13.0 feet of visibility, and there is one public boat landing. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Species recorded at Silver Lake
5 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 Silver Lake
No stocking record for 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.
Getting on the water
1 public boat landing is recorded on Silver Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Silver Lake average 16.05 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 4 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 21, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Silver Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 26.41 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.05 | 0.82 lb |
| Black Crappie | 14.45 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.17 | 0.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.80 | 2.79 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.45 | 0.14 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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
Common questions
What fish are in Silver Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Silver Lake average 16.05 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 4 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 21, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–19 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 5 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 Silver Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Silver Lake is dated August 21, 2017. 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 Silver Lake stocked?
No stocking record for 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.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Silver Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Silver Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is 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 can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
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