South Silver Lake

South Silver Lake earns an F: phosphorus readings still being added and clarity at 3.0 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. A maximum depth of 22 ft puts South Silver Lake in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. South Silver Lake covers 252 acres alongside 4.0 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. South Silver Lake ranks 6 of 7 in Martin County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at South Silver Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Walleye are documented at South Silver Lake, one of 16 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at South Silver Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Ice-out has been logged at South Silver Lake more than two dozen times, putting the median around Mar 25 — a useful baseline for tracking climate trends. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.