West Sylvia Lake
West Sylvia Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 22 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 97 ft. Surface area: 904.39 acres.
- Clarity
- 22 ft
- Typical in August
- 62°F
- Max depth
- 97 ft
- Area
- 904 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 23
- Open water
- 228 days
Next lake in Wright County
Free interactive depth-contour map of West Sylvia Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 80 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
West Sylvia Lake is a 904-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 97 feet (33-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, West Sylvia Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 22 ft down. Phosphorus level: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.8 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 34.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 22 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 8 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.8 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near West Sylvia Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near West Sylvia Lake in Wright County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
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Water Temperature
West Sylvia Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 73°F) and coldest in Apr (about 43°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 191 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full West Sylvia Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for West Sylvia Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (387,258 cells/mL) on May 9, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 97 ft |
| Average Depth | 32.7 ft |
| Surface Area | 904 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 12.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 27% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing West Sylvia Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-21 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 28.83 | 0.69 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.56 | 0.19 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 8.96 | 0.63 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 7.45 | — |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 5.22 | 0.29 lb |
| CNM | 5.02 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Yellow Bass
Bluntnose Minnow
From the 2025-07-21 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in West Lake Sylvia was conducted on July 21, 2025 by Sauk Rapids fisheries staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for West Sylvia Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — West Lake SylviaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — West Lake Sylvia (2010)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — West Lake SylviaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — West Lake SylviaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.241 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.51 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.01 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (15 observations).
Estimated open water season: 228 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-16 (2024) | 2013-05-02 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2007-12-03 (2007) | 2024-12-12 (2024) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-16
EPA Impairment Status
West Sylvia Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0279-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #9 of 51 lakes in Wright County
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about West Sylvia Lake
What is the water quality grade for West Sylvia Lake?
- West Sylvia Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 22 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 97 ft. Surface area: 904.39 acres.
Is West Sylvia Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. West Sylvia Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.8 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of West Sylvia Lake?
- West Sylvia Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August, from 191 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is West Sylvia Lake?
- West Sylvia Lake has a maximum depth of 97 feet and an average depth of 32.7 feet. The lake covers 904.39 acres.
What fish are in West Sylvia Lake?
- Fish species found in West Sylvia Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. West Sylvia Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
When does West Sylvia Lake thaw?
- West Sylvia Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 23. Ice typically forms around Dec 7. The open water season is approximately 228 days.
Does West Sylvia Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for West Sylvia Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (387,258 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore West Sylvia Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
165 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA165 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate