Silver

Silver Lake is a 109-acre lake located in Clay County three miles south of Hawley, MN. Silver Lake is within the Buffalo River Watershed District. The maximum depth is 39 feet, and it is the only natural lake in Clay County without a history of winterkill. The inlet enters the east shore and flows through an adjacent Aquatic Management Area before reaching Silver Lake. The outlet is on the northeast shore and flows less than one-half mile northwest to the Buffalo River. A standard fisheries survey was completed on Silver Lake in June 2024 to assess the fish populations. Traditionally, Silver Lake has had a low abundance of Northern Pike, but numbers have increased recently with the Northern Pike population now having moderate numbers. The size of the pike tend to be good with 35% of the pike sampled in 2024 being over 26 inches. Pike up to 33 inches were measured. Walleye numbers were about average for the lake and quality-sized fish were available for anglers to catch. About 79% of the Walleye captured in 2024 were over 15 inches and 63% were over 20 inches. The average length of Walleyes sampled was 20 inches. Bluegill were found to be abundant at the lake, especially compared to past surveys, and there was a decent number of fish over eight inches for anglers to catch. The longest Bluegill measured was ten inches. Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass were captured in low numbers in the nets, which is often the case with this sampling gear. Black Crappie up to nine inches were measured and Largemouth Bass up to 18.3 inches were captured. Other fish species sampled were Common Carp, Golden Shiner, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch.

A Targeted Survey was completed on Silver Lake on July 22, 2019 to assess the near-shore fish community. The data from this survey will be analyzed in conjunction with the Standard Survey that was also completed in 2019, to evaluate the biological condition of Silver Lake and contribute to the assessment of the watershed. Ten sites within Silver Lake were sampled during this survey using a backpack electrofishing unit and seines. Only four species were sampled during this survey, including Banded Killifish, Bluegill, Brook Stickleback, and Largemouth Bass. The results of this survey suggest that the fish population within Silver Lake meets expectations for lakes of similar characteristics, and Silver Lake is not biologically impaired.

Silver Lake is a small (109-acre), natural, Prairie Lake located three miles south of Hawley, MN. The maximum depth is 39 feet, and there is a public access on the east side of the lake. A Standard Survey was conducted in June 2019 using six gill nets and 9 trap nets to assess the status of the fish population within Silver Lake. The fish community in Silver Lake is dominated by Bluegills and Northern Pike, with Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Walleye, and Channel Catfish among the other species present. The Northern Pike population is relatively low, with 4 fish per gill net. Mean length of pike sampled during the 2019 assessment was 22.9. Inches. Northern Pike up to 28.9 inches were sampled, and 29% of the pike sampled were longer than 24 inches. Spawning habitat for Northern Pike is abundant in the Aquatic Management Area adjacent to Silver Lake when water levels are high. Walleyes are stocked in Silver Lake, although the population is relatively low. A total of 17 Walleyes were caught during the 2019 assessment, ranging in size from 19.7 to 26.1 inches. Three Channel Catfish were sampled in 2019. Catfish were last stocked in 2007, but a small remnant population exists. Mean length of Catfish sampled was 35.3 inches. Bluegills are abundant, and the average size of Bluegills sampled was 5.4 inches. Bluegills up to 9.6 inches were sampled. Largemouth Bass and crappies are both popular targets for local anglers. Bass up to 17.6 inches were sampled, and the mean length of Crappies was 8.0 inches. Other species sampled include White Sucker, Yellow Perch, and Golden Shiner. The data from this survey will be combined with other assessments, including a shoreline habitat evaluation and a near-shore fish community assessment, to evaluate the overall health of the watershed.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Perch in Silver. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Silver. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Silver has a maximum depth of 39 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Silver is from 2024.

No invasive species are on record for Silver in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.