Best Kayaking Lakes in Wisconsin, Clean Water + Public Access, LakeQuality

Kayaking-friendly rankings prefer lakes with low motor-boat congestion, interesting shoreline, decent water clarity, and public access. Clear Lake (A) tops the Wisconsin list.

Kayaking favors lakes with shoreline interest — bays, islands, undeveloped stretches — which tends to correlate with the larger, more remote Wisconsin lakes rather than the small, residential ones.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Clarity	Area	Depth
1	Clear Lake	Rock	WI	A	37.5 ft	-	-
2	Wazee Lake	Jackson	WI	A	30 ft	146 acres	350 ft
3	Black Oak Lake	Vilas	WI	A	28.5 ft	564 acres	85 ft
4	Bardon Lake	Douglas	WI	A	27 ft	848 acres	102 ft
5	Wheeler Lake	Oconto	WI	A	27 ft	281 acres	35 ft
6	Sealion Lake	Florence	WI	A	25.6 ft	-	-
7	Whitefish Lake	Douglas	WI	A	25.3 ft	848 acres	102 ft
8	Pine Lake	Waukesha	WI	A	25 ft	711 acres	85 ft
9	Lake Owen	Bayfield	WI	A	24.6 ft	1,250 acres	95 ft
10	Whitefish Lake	Douglas	WI	A	24.5 ft	848 acres	102 ft
11	Carlin Lake	Vilas	WI	A	24 ft	155 acres	36 ft
12	Stone Lake	Washburn	WI	A	23 ft	490 acres	49 ft
13	Forest Lake	Vilas	WI	A	23 ft	468 acres	60 ft
14	Blue Lake	Oneida	WI	A	23 ft	441 acres	49 ft
15	Millicent Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	23 ft	-	-
16	Maiden Lake	Oconto	WI	A	22.7 ft	269 acres	52 ft
17	Lee Lake	Oneida	WI	A	22.5 ft	65 acres	44 ft
18	Forest Lake	Vilas	WI	A	22.2 ft	468 acres	60 ft
19	Buskey Bay Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	21.9 ft	88 acres	51 ft
20	Hart Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	21.5 ft	257 acres	54 ft
21	Boot Lake	Oconto	WI	A	21.5 ft	230 acres	38 ft
22	Long Lake	Burnett	WI	A	21.5 ft	222 acres	41 ft
23	Rock River Lake	Rock	WI	A	21 ft	548 acres	-
24	Hasbrook Lake	Oneida	WI	A	21 ft	307 acres	50 ft
25	Carlin Lake	Vilas	WI	A	21 ft	155 acres	36 ft
26	Sea Lion Lake	Florence	WI	A	21 ft	114 acres	82 ft
27	Lower Pine Lake	Polk	WI	A	21 ft	96 acres	102 ft
28	Keyes Lake	Florence	WI	A	21 ft	-	-
29	White Sand Lake	Vilas	WI	A	20 ft	746 acres	71 ft
30	Middle Mckenzie Lake	Burnett	WI	A	20 ft	527 acres	45 ft
31	Paya Lake	Oconto	WI	A	20 ft	105 acres	40 ft
32	Big Twin Lake	Langlade	WI	A	20 ft	66 acres	25 ft
33	Crystal Lake	Sheboygan	WI	A	20 ft	-	-
34	Bony Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	19.8 ft	190 acres	55 ft
35	Two Sisters Lake	Oneida	WI	A	19.6 ft	-	-
36	Butternut Lake	Forest	WI	A	19.5 ft	1,246 acres	42 ft
37	Alva Lake	Oneida	WI	A	19.5 ft	199 acres	43 ft
38	Wind Pudding Lake	Oneida	WI	A	19.5 ft	180 acres	35 ft
39	Twin Bear Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	19.5 ft	157 acres	59 ft
40	Rose Lake	Langlade	WI	A	19.5 ft	115 acres	24 ft
41	Lake Buteau	Lincoln	WI	A	19.4 ft	51 acres	50 ft
42	Pine Lake	Waushara	WI	A	19.3 ft	104 acres	21 ft
43	Upper Kaubashine Lake	Oneida	WI	A	19 ft	181 acres	56 ft
44	Sand Bar Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	19 ft	127 acres	49 ft
45	Pearl Lake	Waushara	WI	A	19 ft	101 acres	45 ft
46	Des Moines Lake	Burnett	WI	A	18.9 ft	215 acres	37 ft
47	Upper Eau Claire Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	18.7 ft	1,024 acres	92 ft
48	Lake Lucerne	Forest	WI	A	18.5 ft	1,039 acres	73 ft
49	Lower Eau Claire Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	18.5 ft	784 acres	41 ft
50	Big Portage Lake	Vilas	WI	A	18.5 ft	586 acres	40 ft

All-states list →Minnesota version →Illinois version →Michigan version →All Wisconsin lakes →

Where to stay near Wisconsin kayaking lakes

Find cabins, campgrounds, and rentals near Wisconsin's clearest paddling water — live availability and prices for your kayak trip.

Top-rated places to stay near Wisconsin paddling lakes

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip to Wisconsin paddling lakes?

Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Wisconsin paddling lakes — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.