Silver Lake
Silver Lake in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Max depth
- ~26 ft est.
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Mille Lacs 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, 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. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
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 MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Silver Lake is a lake in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 26 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. 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.
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 77.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 77 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Silver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Silver Lake in Mille Lacs 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Silver Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~26 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), 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
- Silver LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Silver Lake
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).
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Silver (0299)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SilverPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.482 m/yr | 3 |
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Silver Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Princeton WwtpPrinceton · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MN0024538MajorRecent violation
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 Mille Lacs County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
What is the water quality grade for Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility.
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 26 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
What fish are in Silver Lake?
- Fish species found in Silver Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow perch. Silver Lake is located in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota.
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. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
21 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA21 samples · 2022–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory