Silver Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota529 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Silver Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 43 ft max depth
- Public access
Silver Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 529.36 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 13.67 walleye per gill net at Silver Lake. DNR survey details →
Silver Lake is a 529-acre mesotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 43 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Silver Lake ranks #19 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Silver Lake covers about 530 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 13, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Silver Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Silver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
- Deep water43 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Silver Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Silver Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Silver Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft. Phosphorus 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.4 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Silver Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Silver Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Silver Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Silver Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (20,137 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 13.67 walleye per gill net at Silver Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Silver Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-18 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-18 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 87.14 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 15.11 | 8–17 in 2022-07-18 | 0.88 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.00 | 3–8 in 2022-07-18 | 0.2 lb |
| Black Crappie | 11.28 | 7–11 in 2022-07-18 | 0.52 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 10.57 |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Black Crappie
From the 2022-07-18 survey
Silver Lake is a 547-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County one mile north of Battle Lake, MN. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of grasslands interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 43 feet; however, 42% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Silver Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — First SilverFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — First SilverFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — First SilverPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
43 ft
Surface area
529 acres
Shoreline
4.1 mi
Littoral zone
43%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Silver LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Silver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Silver Lake in Otter Tail 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
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.29 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.58 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Apr 2, 2000 · Latest May 10, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 26
Earliest Nov 16, 1997 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 20
2020
23 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
Where is Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake is a lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 43 ft. Surface area: 529.36 acres.
Is Silver Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake has a maximum depth of 43 feet. The lake covers 529.36 acres.
What fish are in Silver Lake?
- Fish species found in Silver Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Silver Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Silver Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 13.67 walleye per gill net at Silver Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Silver Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Silver Lake thaw?
- Silver Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 26. The open water season is approximately 227 days.
Does Silver Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Silver Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (20,137 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
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.
Can I fish at Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Silver Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Otter Tail County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Top lakes and where to stay in the Otter Tail County area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Red River of the North Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
84 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
MNPCA84 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)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate