Skip to main content
LakeQuality
C

Silver Lake

Hennepin County, MinnesotaEutrophic

Silver Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Silver Lake ranks 25 of 95 in Hennepin County — solidly in the upper half of the local distribution.

Silver Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2023, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Silver Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The lake lacks a documented public access point, so visitor use is limited. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality

Water Quality Grade: C, Fair

Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft. Phosphorus level: 58 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 58.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)5.6 ftD
Phosphorus58 µg/LC
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)58Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable+0.009 m/yr3
Phosphorus Improving-5.14 µg/L/yr3

Location

Loading map…

County Ranking

Ranked #25 of 95 lakes in Hennepin County

Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2023-09-14

Monitoring stations: 1