Crystal Lake
Benton County, Arkansas42 acresView mapDirections
Arkansas DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Crystal Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Limited data
Crystal Lake in Benton County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.3 µg/L. Surface area: 42 acres.
Crystal Lake is a 42-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Benton County, Arkansas. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Benton County, Crystal Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2026-02-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
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 Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality 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 Arkansas DEQ 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.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 35.3 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 40µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 35.3µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 61 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Crystal Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
42 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Crystal Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Crystal Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crystal Lake in Benton County, Arkansas — 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Crystal Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Crystal Lake
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Fishing Crystal Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2023–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+10.3 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Crystal Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Crystal Lake Dam (completed 1959), built primarily for recreation on the Wolf Creek; earth-type dam, 50 ft tall and 340 ft long.
- Surface area
- 42 ac
- Normal storage
- 674 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 894 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00260 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Benton County
Frequently asked questions about Crystal Lake
Where is Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake is a lake in Benton County, Arkansas. Its water-quality measurements are published by Arkansas DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake in Benton County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 35.3 µg/L. Surface area: 42 acres.
Is Crystal Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Crystal Lake across LakeQuality
2 documented falls within 17.2 mi, nearest Natural Falls
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
34 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX34 samples · 2023–2026
Analytical methods
- 4500 P J ~ Persulfate Method for Simultaneous Determination of Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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.