Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Surface area: 13 acres.
- Clarity
- 12.5 ft
- Area
- 13 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Next lake in Washtenaw County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Crystal Lake is a 13-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2017. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including Black crappie, Bluegill, and Burbot. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Washtenaw County, Crystal Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2017-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Crystal Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 8.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 1.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 37.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 8.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Crystal Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Crystal Lake in Washtenaw 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
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 13 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Crystal Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Crystal Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.5 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.3 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Crystal Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Preserve of Dexter Dam on the Unnamed Trib to Huron River, 33 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 13 ac
- Normal storage
- 130 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 170 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Community Development Group of AA
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00943 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 8 lakes in Washtenaw County
Nearby Lakes in Washtenaw County
Frequently asked questions about Crystal Lake
Where is Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake is a lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Crystal Lake?
- Crystal Lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L. Surface area: 13 acres.
Is Crystal Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Crystal Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 1.6 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What fish are in Crystal Lake?
- Fish species found in Crystal Lake include Black crappie, Bluegill, Burbot, Common shiner, Emerald shiner, Green sunfish, Johnny darter, Lake herring, Lake whitefish, Largemouth bass, Mottled sculpin, Pumpkinseed, Rainbow smelt, Smallmouth bass, White sucker, Yellow perch. Crystal Lake is located in Washtenaw County, Michigan.
Explore Crystal Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Washtenaw County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Michigan's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Michigan
Livingston County · Excellent
Livingston County · 9 ft
Jackson County · 10.5 ft
Oakland County · 10.3 ft
Lenawee County · 11 ft
Lenawee County · 12.3 ft
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
29 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS29 samples · 2016–2017
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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.