Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 17, 2015
Silver Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Silver Lake average 10.07 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 17, 2015. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–34 inches. In Crow Wing County, Minnesota, Silver Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 17.0 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
6 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 10.07 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 17, 2015. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–34 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Silver Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2015-08-17 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 57.32 | 0.15 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 20.57 | 0.37 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 10.09 | 0.29 lb |
| Northern Pike | 10.07 | 1.91 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 8.97 | 0.1 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
Brown Bullhead
Yellow Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2015-08-17 survey
Silver Lake is a 214 acre lake located four miles northeast of Merrifield in Crow Wing County. Silver has a maximum depth of 23'. A nearshore survey was conducted to assess the populations of both game and non-game fish species. Ten 100' long sampling stations were evenly spaced around the lakeshore. Each station was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Silver Lake. 2 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
- —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 10.07 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 17, 2015. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–34 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 6 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 17, 2015. 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 does not assign an A–F grade on Silver Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
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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