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 ranks 44 of 191 in Vilas County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Crystal Bog Lake has at least one documented invasive species (splake), so boaters and anglers should observe clean-drain-dry steps when leaving the lake. 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.