Silver Lake

Silver Lake sits at the top of the Minnesota PCA grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Minnesota. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

A TSI value of 38 puts Silver Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. Silver Lake reaches 29 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake is compact at 46 acres, with 1.1 miles of shoreline and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Silver Lake ranks 5 of 187 in St. Louis County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Silver Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2020, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Silver Lake, one of 10 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Silver Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.