Fine sediment loading is one of the leading causes of ecological impairment to rivers and streams in the United States. However, few studies have addressed how deposited silt affects the life history traits of benthic macroinvertebrates. We determined how deposited silt affects somatic growth, behavior, and egestion rates of Physa integra snails from Emmons Creek, WI by exposing snails to 3 levels of silt (ambient, low, and high) in stream-side once-through flumes and recirculating chambers. Deposited silt did not affect somatic growth rates of snails. Snails that received added silt spent less time on algal-covered tiles than those not receiving silt. Elemental analysis of periphyton revealed higher %C, C:N, and C:P for the silt addition treatments. Per capita egestion rates were higher for the treatments with added silt. Snails exposed to increased deposited silt may have increased ingestion rates to compensate for the reduced food quality after silt addition. Results such as these about how fine sediment affects life history traits of primary consumers can aid in the interpretation of how fine sediment affects aquatic ecosystems.