Crystal Lake

How big is Crystal Lake?

How deep is Crystal Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Crystal Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Crystal Lake?

Crystal is a medium-sized, moderately deep native Lake Trout lake. Although it has been managed primarily for Lake Trout, it also supports a small, but high-quality, Walleye population, unknown numbers of Smallmouth Bass, and a few Northern Pike. Its one of very few lakes of this type in Cook County where Lake Trout have continued to do well when forced to compete with Walleye and bass. This was to have been the second of two standard surveys scheduled in the current (2008) lake management plan to monitor the Lake Trout population and determine an appropriate long range goal for Northern Pike. Unfortunately, the first of those surveys (in 2011) had to be canceled due to a shortage of staff and funding. The 2008 plan established a goal for Lake Trout of maintaining a self-sustained population with a minimum gill net catch of 1.0 fish/net, and with a minimum average weight of 3.0 lb/fish. Not enough was known about Northern Pike (the only other native game fish in this lake) to establish a goal in 2008.

Lake Trout were abundant in Crystal Lake in 2016, and their average size was excellent. The Lake Trout gill net catch was the highest seen to date in this lake, and easily exceeded the goal for the species set in the 2008 plan. The Lake Trout size goal in that plan was also met in 2016 (as it had been in all previous surveys). Sixteen year classes, all naturally produced, contributed to the 2016 catch, and most of the fish taken were mature adults. No fish younger than six years were collected, suggesting recruitment had been low in recent years. The high number of Lake Trout taken, and the high proportion of adult fish, suggested exploitation in this lake had been minimal. Lake Trout growth at early ages appeared to have been slow; fish reached an average length of 12.2 inches by the end of their fifth year, compared to an area mean of 14.9 inches. Mid-summer temperature-oxygen conditions measured during this survey showed conditions suitable for Lake Trout (water temperature < 55 F, dissolved oxygen > 5.0 ppm) at depths of about 28 to at least 51 ft (the deepest tested). Dissolved oxygen levels in deep waters were so high in early August that a considerable (and improbable) amount of depletion over the remainder of the summer would have been required to reduce the amount of cold-water habitat available.

The Walleye gill net catch in 2016 was one of the lowest seen in this lake historically. Only eight fish were taken, although all were over 15 inches in length. Only four year classes contributed to the 2016 catch, with the strongest apparently produced in 2012 (five fish). Recent recruitment appeared to have been poor. Walleye growth had been fast; at the end of their fourth year fish had reached a mean length of 17.1 inches, compared to an area average of 14.2 inches. Walleye abundance in this lake appeared to have declined since 1978, while Lake Trout abundance appeared to have increased over that period.

Northern Pike have never been abundant in this lake. None were taken in this survey, but it was likely a few fish were still present. With no new information available for Northern Pike, no goal other than maintaining a small self-sustained population can be supported.

Smallmouth Bass were still present in 2016, but perhaps not in very high numbers. Yellow Perch, White Sucker, and Green Sunfish have all been taken in past surveys of this lake, and all were still present, but not particularly abundant, in 2016. Minnow traps set as part of this survey to better sample the nearshore fish community added no new fish species to the short list of those known to be present in this lake (and caught no minnows).

Are there any state parks near Crystal Lake?