Crystal Lake
Rice County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Crystal Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Crystal Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 241 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 75.8 µg/L.
Crystal Lake is a lake in Rice County, Minnesota. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Crystal Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 16
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 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR 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 Minnesota PCA 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 241 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 75.8 µg/L. TSI 78.
| 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 | 241µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 75.8µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 78 | 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.
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Stays near Crystal Lake
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Fishing Crystal Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 16
Earliest Feb 26, 2024 · Latest Apr 8, 2022
Most recent ice-out
Feb 26
2024
3 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Crystal Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Faribault WwtpFaribault · 3 mi away · NPDES MN0030121MajorRecent violation
- Faribault Foods - Faribault DivisionFaribault · 3.2 mi away · NPDES MN0050491Recent violation
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 Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Crystal Lake
Where is Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake is a lake in Rice County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 241 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 75.8 µg/L.
Is Crystal Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
When does Crystal Lake thaw?
- Crystal Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 16.
Can I fish at Crystal Lake?
- Public access to Crystal Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Crystal Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Rice County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA2 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate