Silver Lake
Silver Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.9 µg/L. Surface area: 32 acres.
- Clarity
- 5.2 ft
- Typical in August
- 60°F
- Mean depth
- ~15 ft est.
- Area
- 32 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Silver Lake →
Next lake in Hennepin County
Silver Lake is a 32-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 15 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Silver Lake ranks #32 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-03. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft. Phosphorus level: 61 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 24.9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 60.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 61 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 24.9 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 60 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Silver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Silver Lake in Hennepin 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Silver Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Silver Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Silver Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 61°F) and coldest in Feb (about 37°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,214 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Silver Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 32 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Silver Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Recreation & Access
- Christmas LakePublic
- Bean's Greenwood MarinaSemi-private
- Excelsior Bay HarborSemi-private
- MarineMax ExcelsiorSemi-private
Fishing Silver Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database. Hover a chip to see scientific name, ecological context, status, and first-observed year.
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.046 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +6.91 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +2.37 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Silver Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Silver Lake (completed 1987), built primarily for recreation on the Purgatory Creek-TR; earth-type dam, 11 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 32 ac
- Max storage
- 50 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- City of Shorewood
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN01488 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Silver Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN27-0136-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #32 of 81 lakes in Hennepin County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Silver Lake holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
What is the water quality grade for Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.9 µg/L. Surface area: 32 acres.
Is Silver Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Silver Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 24.9 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in August, from 1,214 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Silver Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Silver Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 15 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 32 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Christmas Lake, Bean's Greenwood Marina, Excelsior Bay Harbor, MarineMax Excelsior. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
198 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA198 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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