Silver

Silver is a small lake (543 acres) located adjacent of the City of Silver Lake in McLeod County. It has four miles of shoreline, with a maximum depth of eight feet. There is a public boat access with a cement plank ramp at the west end of the lake. A total of two fishing piers are available on the north side of the lake. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Silver is a class 43 lake and other similar waterbodies in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Swan and Hook Lakes in McLeod County. Silver occasionally suffers partial winterkills of fish during harsh winters. Fish populations can fluctuate widely depending on severity and frequency of winterkill. Milder winters in recent decades, with decreased winterkill frequency and severity, has led to increased boom-and-bust angling opportunities at this lake. Silver was formerly managed as a Walleye rearing pond but was switched to a recreational fishing lake in 2023. Poor Walleye fingerling production had occurred because of a lack of significant winterkills in recent years. Walleye remain the primary management species and fry are stocked every other year. Curlyleaf pondweed can form dense surface mats in May and June at Silver Lake, making boating difficult. A targeted survey (June trap netting) was conducted at Silver Lake on June 17th, 2024, to monitor the fish population. The best option for anglers at Silver Lake are the numerous large panfish. Between Bluegill, Hybrid Sunfish, and Black Crappie there should be enough to keep anglers busy. Black Crappie averaged 8.0 inches in length and had a maximum length of 13.0 inches. Bluegill averaged an impressive 7.1 inches in length and had a maximum length of 8.8 inches. Hybrid Sunfish had a highly desirable average length of 7.3 inches with a maximum length of 9.6 inches. In addition, a solid number of Yellow Perch were sampled. Plus, an impressive 43% of the Yellow Perch catch was 9.5 inches or longer with a maximum length of 11.6 inches. Walleye have always been a main attraction at Silver Lake, but the population may need some more time. While Walleye 8.0 to 25.3 inches in length were sampled; 67% of the catch was less than 10 inches in length. Additional fish species captured in the trap nets included Black Bullhead, Green Sunfish and Largemouth Bass. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Over harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local MNDNR office. Additional information on all these topics can be found on the MNDNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Hybrid Sunfish, Green Sunfish, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass, and Walleye 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 10.5 feet and a mean depth of 8.5 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.