Crystal Lake

Managed by The Swim Guide - Massachusetts

Crystal Lake is a small, freshwater beach located in Orleans, a town on Cape Cod. The clear and calm water make it a great spot to go for a swim. This lake is stocked with fish; a fishing permit is required. There is also a boat launch for canoes/kayaks and rowboats. You can also enjoy the beautiful view while relaxing in the shade under one of the many trees. There is handicap access in one area of the beach. There are limited parking spots, but if you're lucky enough to get one, the parking is free.

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Water Quality

No data available
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample. The Swim Guide - Massachusetts updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available.

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Current Weather

2°C

Chance of heavy rain

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Local boards of health, county department of health, and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation monitor beach water quality in Massachusetts. The monitoring seasons is May through September. Beaches in Cohasset are tested on a weekly basis on Tuesday. The water quality results are posted by Thursday. Infrequently used beaches or beaches that historically have had very few, if any, water quality issues are tested less often, while high-use or historically problematic beaches are tested more often.

The water at marine beaches is tested for the presence of Enterococci, a group of bacterial species typically found in human and animal intestines and are therefore present in sewage. Enterococci is also referred to as indicator organisms. Indicator organisms are used to predict the presence of pathogenic, or disease-causing, organisms associated with fecal contamination. Swim Guide checks for the latest information daily, Monday - Friday during the swimming season (May through September). A beach is marked Green when less than 104 units of Enterococci / 100 ml of water is present in a single sample, or when the geometric mean of 5 samples contains less than 35 units / 100ml of water.A beach is marked Red when more than 104 units of Enterococci / 100 ml of water is present in a single sample, or when the geometric mean of 5 samples contains more than 35 units / 100ml of water.A beach is marked Grey when there is no current or reliable monitoring information available.

Water Quality Graph