Silver Lake
Washtenaw County, Michigan233 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Silver Lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 232.7 acres.
- Clarity
- 11.5 ft
- Area
- 233 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Silver Lake
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Watch Silver Lake’s letter
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Why Silver Lake has no grade
Silver Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Silver Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 11.5-foot median from 32 readings collected 2020–2022 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Silver Lake is a 233-acre lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, and Green sunfish. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Silver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Fishing15 species recorded
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Silver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Silver Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. TSI 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 11.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 233 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Silver Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Silver Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.648 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.5 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.1 µg/L/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Silver Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040900050307-23 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.56 km)
Graded lakes near Silver Lake
Silver Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Washtenaw County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
Where is Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake is a lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — 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.
What is the water quality grade for Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 232.7 acres.
Is Silver Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Silver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Silver Lake?
- Fish species found in Silver Lake include Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Green sunfish, Hornyhead chub, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Largemouth bass, Northern longear sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth bass, Spotted gar, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch. Silver Lake is located in Washtenaw County, Michigan.
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Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS32 samples · 2020–2022
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database