- Pond Area: 38.2 acres.
- Maximum depth: 44.7 ft (13.6 m)
- Location: Crystal Lake is located between Route 28 and Monument Road and to the northwest of Lonnie’s (aka Kescayogansett) Pond estuary.
- Water access, parking: Public parking at Crystal Lake Beach on Monument Road provides space for about 8 vehicles.
- Boat ramp / boat access: There is a boat ramp and a small swimming beach at ‘Fisherman’s Landing’, on Route 28, near Pond Road. The area at the top of the boat ramp will accommodate 2-3 cars. Motorized boats have a maximum limit of 5 HP, electric motors only.
- Recreational Uses: Swimming, fishing, small boating, and picnicking. Crystal Lake has one of the two official freshwater bathing beaches in the Town of Orleans (together with Pilgrim Lake). The water is tested for swimming water quality by the Town Dept. of Health.
- Fishing: Crystal Lake is one of two cold water fisheries in Orleans, together with Baker’s Ponds; both are stocked by the MA Division of Fish and Wildlife in spring and fall with brook, brown and rainbow trout (www.Mass.gov/Trout). There are also largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch and pickerel. A MA state fishing license is required.
Other Fun Facts:
- Crystal Lake is the second largest freshwater pond in Orleans, after Pilgrim Lake. It is one of four ‘Great Ponds’ in Orleans (surface area larger than 10 acres) together with Baker’s Pond, Cedar Pond and Pilgrim Lake.
- There is a surface water connection to Lonnie’s Pond through an adjacent cranberry bog and a stream connection from the NE side of the lake.
- There is a Water Quality Management Plan for Crystal Lake (see Table 2) focusing on measures to reduce nutrient (Nitrogen and Phosphorus) inputs to the lake in order to reduce algae and cyanobacteria blooms and improve water clarity. The lake received an alum treatment in May 2024 to suppress Phosphorus release from the bottom sediments, which will aid in eliminating cyanobacteria blooms.
- In the 1970’s, prior to capping of the Orleans Landfill or “dump” (at the current Transfer Station), seagulls would dine at the dump then swim in Crystal Lake. The resulting high nutrient loading from the seagulls, as well as from Canada geese fed by abutters to the lake resulted in multiple episodes of the lake turning ‘bright pea green’, likely from cyanobacteria blooms.
Crystal Lake bathymetry map (depth in feet)
Crystal Lake is a beloved swimming pond of 38 acres, accessible from Monument Road (the second largest pond in Orleans.) With a maximum depth of 44 feet, Crystal Lake offers a deep, cool place to swim in the summer, popular despite its small public beach and limited parking. The Cape Cod Times wrote “even fish like to swim at Crystal Lake,” which captures this gem beautifully. As a Great Pond over ten acres, Crystal Lake is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Landings
There is a paved boat ramp on the northwest side of Crystal Lake off Route 28, and a small public beach off Monument Road on the southeast shore. Parking is limited by the Monument Road beach landing; access for kayaks or paddleboards is possible only with great caution due to the popularity of the area for young children. The north shore landing is a better place for boat access.
Cranberries
Crystal Lake supplies the fresh water for a Monument Road cranberry bog that ultimately discharges into Kescayogansett Pond. The cranberry bog has been toured as part of the Orleans Pond Coalition Celebrate Our Waters Weekend for many years, through the graciousness of its owners and the bog manager.
Water Sports
In addition to swimming, Crystal Lake offers opportunities for non-motorized boating. With the state stocking Crystal Lake with trout twice a year, fishing is a favorite activity. Species surveys of Crystal Lake over the years have shown a variety of fish from bass, pumpkinseed and eel. The beach faces west, and late afternoons are a favorite time to experience the magic of Crystal Lake.
Conditions
With a watershed approaching 225.5 acres, and several storm drains from route 28 and adjacent roads leading into the waters, Crystal Lake also has some distress, with anoxic conditions in late summer. Hence, divers and water scientists have been collecting water samples since the summer of 2018. Phosphorus has been migrating into Crystal Lake for years, and the data collection underway this year will help the town determine the best ways to mitigate. See link here Water Water Everywhere – Crystal Lake for a lovely essay on Crystal Lake by author Wendy Shreve, who wrote “If Cape Cod is my home, Crystal Lake is my picture window.”