Crystal Lake vs Lake Diane South Basin; Amboy Township
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Crystal Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Lake Diane South Basin; Amboy Township (D, Poor). Both are in Hillsdale County, Wisconsin.
Both Crystal Lake and Lake Diane South Basin; Amboy Township sit in Michigan. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are meaningfully apart: Crystal Lake grades a B while Lake Diane South Basin; Amboy Township grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Crystal Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Crystal Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft.
Lake Diane South Basin; Amboy Township
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Crystal Lake | Lake Diane South Basin; Amboy Township |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 9.5 ft | 2.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4 µg/L | 29 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 125 acres | 290 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 16 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Crystal Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Lake Diane South Basin; Amboy Township's Grade D. Water clarity: 9.5 ft vs 2.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Crystal Lake also leads with 16 species.