Crystal Lake
Polk County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Crystal Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
Crystal Lake in Polk County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L.
Crystal Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Florida. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 176 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Crystal Lake ranks #106 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2023-10-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Crystal Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Crystal Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5A) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Crystal Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection 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 Florida DEP 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.
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 44 µg/L. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 44µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| 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. | 64 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Crystal Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Crystal Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 86°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 87°F) and coldest in Jan (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (87°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 44 field readings (2020–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Crystal Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Crystal Lake
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Fishing Crystal Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+6.07 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Crystal Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1497A · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Crystal Lake
Where is Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake is a lake in Polk County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake in Polk County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L.
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 5A) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake typically sits around 78°F at the surface in October, from 44 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples32 samples · 2020–2023
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