Silver Lake
Windsor County, Vermont84 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #7 of 8 in the county
- 44 ft max depth
Silver Lake in Windsor County, Vermont has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L. Surface area: 84 acres.
- Clarity
- 13.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~44 ft est.
- Area
- 84 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 13.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.2 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
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Watch Silver Lake’s letter
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Silver Lake is a 84-acre mesotrophic lake in Windsor County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 44 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Windsor County, Silver Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-10-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Silver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.1 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft. Phosphorus 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.2 µg/L. TSI 43. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.2 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~44 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 84 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont 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.
Fishing Silver Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.23 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.06 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -7.6 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Silver Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Silver Lake (completed 1968), built primarily for recreation on the Pond Brook; gravity-type dam, 30 ft tall and 100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 84 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,410 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,710 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.71 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- STATE OF VERMONT - DEC
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00065 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 8 lakes in Windsor County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Silver Lake holds Grade C. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Windsor County
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
Where is Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake is a lake in Windsor County, Vermont. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Silver Lake?
- Silver Lake in Windsor County, Vermont has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 13.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L. Surface area: 84 acres.
Is Silver Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
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 44 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 84 acres.
Explore Silver Lake across LakeQuality
More Vermont Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
124 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ124 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- EPA approved Alternate Test Procedure for 4500 P H. Has a 28 day hold without acid preservation.
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)