crystal bay aerial photo
crystal bay aerial photo
crystal bay aerial photo
crystal bay aerial photo
crystal bay aerial photo

CRYSTAL BAY

DNR Lake ID: 27013310

Location Highlights:
Crystal Bay is between West Arm and Lower Lake Minnetonka, located along the shores of Orono, Navarre, and Minnetonka Beach. Homes for sale on Crystal Bay are a part of the Orono School District and Mound Westonka School District. In the mid-19th century, Crystal Bay was a hotel hotspot. City dwellers escaped the Twin Cities to enjoy summers on Lake Minnetonka. At the industry's peak, resorts drew customers' attention from eastern and southern states. Out-of-state residents started to spend their summers around the lake. However, the tourism industry began to fail later in the century. All the hotels and resorts closed, and Crystal Bay became a residential bay. Crystal Bay is still known as a summer oasis with sparkling water and beautiful views. Crystal Bay is the deepest bay in Lake Minnetonka, with a depth of 113 feet. Crystal Bay is a great spot to perform recreational activities like wake surfing, water skiing, and wakeboarding.

Water Quality:
Allen French, an early settler, named Crystal Bay because of the crystal clear water that mirrors the sky above. The name stuck, and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District reaffirms French's initial opinion and gives Crystal Bay an A in water quality. The water quality is exceptional and can be enjoyed recreationally all year.

Boating Restrictions:
None

Lake Access:
There are no boat launches or marinas directly on Crystal Bay, but there are launches in the neighboring North Arm and Maxwell Bay. The North Arm and Maxwell Bay Launch are close and provide easy transportation to take boats in and out of the water.

Amenities:
The century-old Lafayette Club sits on three thousand feet of shoreline. The club stands between Crystal Bay to the north and Lafayette Bay to the south. The Lafayette Club was once a hotel built by famous railroad tycoon James J. Hill. He made the Lafayette Hotel in 1882 to capitalize on the area's increasing popularity. The original hotel had 300 guest rooms and became the center of Lake Minnetonka's social life. Hill shut down the hotel in 1897 and burned it in a fire later that year. Some say Lafayette's demise signaled Lake Minnetonka's resort culture shift. Today, a rebuilt Lafayette Club still stands and offers private club amenities like indoor and outdoor pools, a golf course, tennis courts, and boat docks. Crystal Bay is home to another local favorite, Noerenberg Gardens, a 73-acre formal garden that offers rental space for weddings and school dance photos. It is most known for its beautiful greenery and picture-esque settings.  


Source MN DNR® 
Source Minnehaha Watershed District®