Crystal Lake
Benzie County, Michigan9,865 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Crystal Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Dioxins
- 175 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Crystal Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 32 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 175 ft. Surface area: 9864.7 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Crystal Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 175 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Crystal Lake is a 9,865-acre lake in Benzie County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 175 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including Black crappie, Burbot, and Johnny darter. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 9,900 acres, Crystal Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Crystal Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Crystal Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water32 ft of visibility
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Deep water175 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water9,865 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Crystal Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for dioxins, mercury, pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Crystal Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) 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 EGLE 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 32 ft down. TSI 27.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 32ft | 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. | 27 | 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.
Lake Details
Max depth
175 ft
Surface area
9,865 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Crystal Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crystal Lake in Benzie County, Michigan — 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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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Crystal Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.08 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable0 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Crystal Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601040305-03 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Crystal Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Village Of BeulahBeulah · 4 mi away · NPDES MIG960001
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Crystal Lake
Where is Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake is a lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 32 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 175 ft. Surface area: 9864.7 acres.
Is Crystal Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Crystal Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for dioxins, mercury, pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake has a maximum depth of 175 feet. The lake covers 9864.7 acres.
What fish are in Crystal Lake?
- Fish species found in Crystal Lake include Black crappie, Burbot, Johnny darter, Lake herring, Lake whitefish, Mottled sculpin, Rainbow smelt, White sucker, Yellow perch. Crystal Lake is located in Benzie County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Crystal Lake?
- Public access to Crystal Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Crystal Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
35 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS35 samples · 2016–2022
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)