Silver Lake

Silver Lake earns an A — every scored parameter (clarity and phosphorus) rates among the best monitored waters in Vilas County. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. A maximum depth of 19 ft puts Silver Lake in the middle of Wisconsin's depth distribution. The lake is compact at 57 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Among the 191 graded lakes in Vilas County, Silver Lake sits at rank 51, above the county median.

Silver Lake carries an invasive watermilfoil record — boat-launch decontamination and shoreline care matter more here than at uninfested lakes. The fishery includes walleye among the lake's 5 documented species — a notable draw for Wisconsin anglers. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.