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Crystal Lake

Sheboygan County, WisconsinOligotrophic

Crystal Lake sits at the top of the Wisconsin DNR grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Wisconsin. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI value of 37 puts Crystal Lake in the oligotrophic range, where biological productivity stays low and the water column remains clear. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Within Sheboygan County's 6 graded waters, Crystal Lake sits at rank 1, near the top of the local distribution.

Crystal Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2025, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Crystal Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-10-14. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae

Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent

Crystal clear, you can see 19.9 ft down. Phosphorus level: 12.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 37.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)19.9 ftA
Phosphorus12.2 µg/LA
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)37Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.752 m/yr5
Phosphorus Stable+0.15 µg/L/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 6 lakes in Sheboygan County

Nearby Lakes in Sheboygan County

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

Mercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10001225 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.68 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2025-10-14

Monitoring stations: 2