Crystal Lake
Columbia County, Wisconsin · WBIC 978900
The DNR lists this lake's watershed (Otter Creek-Wisconsin River) as suspect or infected with VHS, a fish virus. The listing covers the watershed, not a test of this lake. About VHS
Size
500 acres
Max depth
9 ft
DNR lake type
Simple, Warm, dark water color
A warm-water lake type: the DNR groups it with lakes that warm up through summer. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.
Outline
Numbered dots are boat landings; tap one for directions. The list below has the same numbers. Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1975), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity (satellite estimate)
- Summer 20161.5 ft (1,974 satellite pixels)
- Summer 20172.5 ft (2,145 satellite pixels)
No one has measured this lake's clarity in the monitoring data. These are estimates from satellite images of two summers only, so they may not match the lake today.
Secchi depth is how far down a white disk stays visible. A bigger number means clearer water. The estimate tops out at 16 feet.
Landsat satellite estimates published by the Wisconsin DNR (summers 2016 and 2017), averaged over the lake's outline. Informational use only.
Water temperature
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 5 (Mar 28 to Apr 14)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout Apr 12 (Apr 6 to Apr 22)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 12 (May 8 to May 21)
- June surface75°F, usually 74 to 76°F
- July surface81°F, usually 79 to 82°F
- August surface76°F, usually 74 to 78°F
Mixes regularly through the summer instead of forming a warm top layer.
A computer model of this lake's typical weather and water, built from 15 years, 2005 to 2019. Ranges show the middle half of years. The model was not calibrated against measured temperatures for this lake. It is an estimate, not a measurement.
Modeled: U.S. Geological Survey lake temperature data release (doi:10.5066/P9CA6XP8).
Today at the lake
Forecast: National Weather Service (no endorsement implied). Sunrise, sunset and moon phase are calculated. The moon phase can be a day off.
Stocking history
- Largemouth Basslast stocked 2018 (large fingerling); stocked in 1 year since 2010
- Channel Catfishlast stocked 2017 (yearling); stocked in 1 year since 2010
Stocking shows what was added to the lake, not what is in it now.
Wisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Fish recorded near this lake
- Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas1976 to 1999; 2 records
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus1999 to 2004; 6 records
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1999 to 2004; 6 records
- Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas1976; 1 record
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas1999; 1 record
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1999 to 2005; 11 records
- Northern Pike Esox lucius1999 to 2001; 3 records
- Orangespotted Sunfish Lepomis humilis1976; 1 record
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1976 to 2004; 7 records
- Sauger Sander canadensis1999; 1 record
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu2004; 1 record
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1999; 1 record
- Yellow Bass Morone mississippiensis2002 to 2004; 3 records
- Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis1999 to 2004; 2 records
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1999 to 2002; 2 records
Recorded in open fish survey and museum records (GBIF). A record shows a fish was found near this lake in that year, not that it is there now, and says nothing about how many. Most coordinates are rounded to about 1 km, so a record is attached only when one lake is the clear match.
Open fish survey and museum records from GBIF; datasets are listed on the sources page. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Boat landings
- 1Crystal Lake Public Access (listed under Dane County)Boat ramp · Concrete Plank surface · State(dnr)
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
More lakes in Columbia County
- Lantz Pond1.0 miles away
- Ryan Pond3.4 miles away
- Lake Wisconsin4.5 miles away
- Goose Lake13 miles away
- Lake Columbia16 miles away
- Long Lake17 miles away
Where this comes from
- Size, depth and lake typeWisconsin DNR lake classifications, checked Oct 23, 2026
- OutlineWisconsin DNR 24K hydrography, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Stocking historyWisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Regulations linkWisconsin DNR fishing regulations (linked, not restated), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Boat landingsWisconsin DNR public boat access sites, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Typical-year temperatureU.S. Geological Survey lake temperature model (modeled estimate), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Fish recordedOpen fish survey and museum records, via GBIF, checked Oct 23, 2026
- VHS statusWisconsin DNR VHS status by watershed, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Satellite clarity estimateLandsat summer clarity estimates published by the Wisconsin DNR (2016, 2017), checked Oct 24, 2026
See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.
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