Silver Lake
Silver Lake in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
- Max depth
- ~19 ft est.
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Manitowoc County
Why Silver Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Silver Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by WI DNR and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Silver Lake is a lake in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin with an estimated average depth of about 19 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-01-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Silver Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Where to stay near Silver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Silver Lake in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin — 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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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wisconsin 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
- Silver Lake ParkPublic
Fishing Silver Lake
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Silver Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2023Silver Lake comprehensive summary survey, 2023Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2023 (PDF)
- 2015Silver Lake comprehensive survey 2015Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2015 (PDF)
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.026 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -8.64 µg/L/yr | 7 |
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 WI10026144 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Silver Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Holy Family Convent Wastewater Treatment FacManitowoc Rapids · 0.1 mi away · NPDES WI0028142Recent violation
- Twin Cities Vue Dairy LlcManitowoc Rapids, Town Of · 4.8 mi away · NPDES WI0066338Recent violation
- Parker Hannifin CorpManitowoc · 1.2 mi away · NPDES WI0049239
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Graded lakes near Silver Lake
Silver Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Manitowoc County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
What is the water quality grade for Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
Is Silver Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Silver Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
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 19 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
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 Park. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX2 samples · 2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory