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Silver Lake

Rochester, Minnesota — Olmsted County.

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58Surface acres
1Public access sites
6.9 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 120019439).

Location & fast facts

Where Silver Lake is in Minnesota

The red circle marks Silver Lake.

Fast facts

About Silver Lake

  • County: Olmsted
  • Town: Rochester
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 77 mi from Minneapolis and 191 mi from Duluth, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Minnesota

Official Minnesota DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Paddling. 1 public access site, no trailer ramp listed
  • Fishing. Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Black crappie and Bluegill
  • Walking. 6.9 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 17 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Curly-leaf pondweed recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official lake survey (Minnesota DNR)

11 ftMaximum depth
2 ftAverage depth
50Acres (state figure)

Fish species found in Minnesota DNR lake surveys: Black bullhead, Black crappie, Bluegill, Common carp, Golden redhorse, Green sunfish, Hybrid sunfish, Largemouth bass, Northern hog sucker, Silver redhorse, Smallmouth bass, White sucker, Yellow perch.

Shallow (littoral) area: 50 of 50 acres

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources LakeFinder record for Silver Lake (DOW 55000300), with lake survey reports, depth maps and stocking history. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Silver Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Zumbro River, Mayo Memorial Park Public Water Access Site (Cartop / walk-in)1½ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Cartop / walk-inShoreline trail
  1. 1Zumbro River, Mayo Memorial Park Public Water Access Site
    Cartop / walk-in · Rochester

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 120019439), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

6.9 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 100%Of the shoreline
YesLoops the whole lake

OpenStreetMap shows about 6.9 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Silver Lake shoreline. Together the trails go all or nearly all the way around Silver Lake, staying close to the water.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Zumbro River, Mayo Memorial Park Public Water Access Site, 350 ft from a shoreline trail (Minnesota DNR water access data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Silver Lake

We found 17 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Silver Lake. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

11 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Minnesota

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (44.0282, -92.4586). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Silver Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Silver Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    1 public access site listed.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Zumbro River, Mayo Memorial Park Public Water Access SiteRochesterCity of RochesterCarry-in (hand launch)20 trailer, 40 car—Fishing, Boating
    Restroom
    44.0291, -92.4512

    Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Silver Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Silver Lake

    How big is Silver Lake?

    Silver Lake covers about 58 acres in Rochester, Minnesota (Olmsted County).

    How deep is Silver Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 11 feet and the mean depth is 2 feet, according to the Minnesota DNR LakeFinder.

    What fish are in Silver Lake?

    Minnesota DNR LakeFinder lists Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Black crappie, Bluegill, Yellow perch, Black bullhead, Common carp, Golden redhorse, Green sunfish and Hybrid sunfish and 3 more.

    Is there a public boat launch on Silver Lake?

    No trailer ramp is listed, but there is 1 public access site for car-top boats or shore access.

    Are there campgrounds near Silver Lake?

    Yes. We list 17 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles.

    What towns are on Silver Lake?

    Silver Lake touches Rochester in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Silver Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Minnesota lakes & ponds · All waters in Rochester