Crystal Bog Lake

On the LakeGrade rubric, Crystal Bog Lake pulls an A: clarity readings still being added and 13 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Wisconsin. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The lake sits in the mesotrophic zone — the band where most well-managed Wisconsin lakes fall. At only 8 ft deep, Crystal Bog Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. The lake is compact at 1 acres, with partial shoreline records and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Crystal Bog Lake sits at rank 148 of 202 in Vilas County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Crystal Bog Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2025, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Crystal Bog Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.