Crystal Lake
Bayfield County, Wisconsin117 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Crystal Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Crystal Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 117 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Smallmouth Bass as abundant on Crystal Lake. DNR survey details →
Crystal Lake is a 117-acre lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 29 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2022-10-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Crystal Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Crystal Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Crystal Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Crystal Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.2 ft down. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Crystal Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR rates Smallmouth Bass as abundant on Crystal Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Crystal Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2022).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Surface area
117 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,398 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Crystal LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Crystal Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crystal Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Crystal Lake
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Follow Crystal Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Crystal Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.42 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Bayfield County
Frequently asked questions about Crystal Lake
Where is Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake is a lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 117 acres.
Is Crystal Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet. The lake covers 117 acres.
What fish are in Crystal Lake?
- Fish species found in Crystal Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Crystal Lake is located in Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Crystal Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Smallmouth Bass as abundant on Crystal Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Crystal Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Crystal Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX16 samples · 2021–2022
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory