Crystal Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Crystal Lake is mapped to a depth of 175 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 9,797 acres in Benzie County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey (depths read from the survey's isobath field; this lake's summary-depth column is blank in the source).
- Deepest sounding
- 175 ft
- Mean depth
- 69.2 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 9,797 acres
- Estimated volume
- 677,927 acre-ft · 220,903M gal
- Shoreline
- 20.81 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 11% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details11 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–175 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 175 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Betsie River, Platte Lake, Steuben Lake, Little Platte Lake, Triangle Lake, Betsie Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Crystal Lake’s own are.
15% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 78% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.
Compare with another lakeProvenance
Sources: MI DNR inland lake contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches.
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Map details & sources5 sources
All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.
Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.
- Coordinates
- 44.66362, -86.17390
- MI DNR lake ID
- L40101
- Vertical exaggeration
- 4.37× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.4 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Crystal Lake has a substantially developed setting, long open-water fetch, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Modest | 5.2 of 30 | 38% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (34% forest, 2% wetland; 33% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Modest | 1.2 of 25 | mean fetch 8,719 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long open-water fetch |
| Watercraft controls | None identified | 7.5 of 15 | No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law. |
| Public access | Good | 12.8 of 15 | 3 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 16 ramp lanes · 163 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Modest | 0.8 of 15 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 315 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 8,731 vehicles/day |
Additional paddling considerations
These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.
- Wake sensitivity
- Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
- Aquatic vegetation
- Low — approximately 11% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
- Observed motorized activity
- Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
- Wildlife habitat potential
- Limited — 34% forest and 2% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking21 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Chinook Salmon
Northern Pike
Common Carp
Bowfin
Channel Catfish
Coho Salmon
Lake Trout
Walleye
Burbot
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Freshwater Drum
Lake Whitefish
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
Cisco
Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Rainbow SmeltHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Atlantic Salmon (last planted 1992) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 21 species found here — 21 open to harvest.
These are hook-and-line size, daily limit and season rules. Gear, spearing and bow fishing, spawning closures and rod limits are set by other Fisheries Orders and are not shown here.
From FO-206.26 (eff. 2026-04-01) / FO-215.23A (eff. 2023-09-15) / FO-254.25 (eff. 2025-10-10), checked against the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations digest · verified 2026-08-24. Regulations can change — Michigan DNR rules are the controlling source; verify current regulations before fishing. Official regulations
Notable catches
Master Angler program · 1994–2025Trophy-size fish anglers caught here and registered with the DNR — what people have actually caught, distinct from what a survey netted or the state stocked below.
Catch details by species20 species
Biggest on record
Bait: artificial lure (63) · live bait (34) · minnow (24)
Method: spincasting (102) · still fishing (74) · ice fishing (56) · trolling (41)
Fishery
surveyed 2014 · DNR SFR 2015-202Gamefish Lake Trout 3,438 · Rainbow Trout 48 · Brown Trout 11
Panfish Yellow Perch 23,916
All survey species9 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Forage & nongame
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–2026Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Non-native species records
4 recordsMussels & snails
- Zebra Mussel
Plants & algae
- Eurasian Watermilfoil
Fish
- Brown TroutMichigan DNR stocking records also document Brown Trout stocking in this lake.
- Rainbow Smelt
What does non-native mean?
USGS records identify non-native species that have been documented for this lake or its shoreline. Non-native does not necessarily mean invasive, and historical records do not confirm current presence.
Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; underlying nonindigenous species records from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceCrystal Lake — common questions
How deep is Crystal Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Crystal Lake is 175 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.
How big is Crystal Lake?
Crystal Lake covers about 9,797 acres in Benzie County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Crystal Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Crystal Lake is 69.2 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Crystal Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include brown trout, burbot, channel catfish, chinook salmon, coho salmon, lake trout. The page lists all 21 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Crystal Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 2 public access sites on Crystal Lake, including Crystal Lake.
