Crystal Lake
Orleans County, Vermont778 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- 73 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Crystal Lake in Orleans County, Vermont is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 19.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 5.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 0.9 µg/L. Surface area: 778 acres.
- Clarity
- 19.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~73 ft est.
- Area
- 778 acres
- Phosphorus
- 5.4 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 0.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Crystal Lake’s letter
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Why Crystal Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Crystal Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by VT DEC and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Crystal Lake is a 778-acre lake in Orleans County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 73 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-10-03. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Crystal Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water19.4 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Crystal Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 19.4 ft down. Phosphorus 5.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 0.9 µg/L. TSI 31.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 19.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 5.4 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 0.9 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 31 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~73 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~59 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 778 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont has not published bathymetry for Crystal Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Crystal LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Crystal Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.157 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.3 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Crystal Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Crystal Lake (completed 1860), built primarily for recreation on the Barton River-Tr; concrete-type dam, 17 ft tall and 65 ft long.
- Surface area
- 778 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,740 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 22.58 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- STATE OF VERMONT - DEC
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00008 · Operator website
Graded lakes near Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Orleans County
Frequently asked questions about Crystal Lake
Where is Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake is a lake in Orleans County, Vermont. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake in Orleans County, Vermont is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 19.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 5.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 0.9 µg/L. Surface area: 778 acres.
Is Crystal Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Crystal Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Crystal Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 73 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 778 acres.
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.
Explore Crystal Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
101 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ101 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- EPA approved Alternate Test Procedure for 4500 P H. Has a 28 day hold without acid preservation.
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory