Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Alexandria
Minnesota
30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Alexandria, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and kayaking-specific filters. Filtered for grade A, B, or C water quality, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).
Within reasonable driving distance of Alexandria sit 30 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is A.
The kayaking-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the kayaking use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cowdry Lake | Douglas | A | 2.2 mi | 17.1 ft | 52 ft |
| 2 | Lottie Lake | Douglas | A | 2.6 mi | 16.1 ft | 31 ft |
| 3 | Latoka Lake | Douglas | A | 2.9 mi | 19 ft | 108 ft |
| 4 | North Union Lake | Douglas | A | 3.3 mi | 20.3 ft | 42 ft |
| 5 | Mina Lake | Douglas | A | 4.8 mi | 16 ft | 123 ft |
| 6 | Carlos Lake | Douglas | A | 5.3 mi | 18 ft | 163 ft |
| 7 | Moon Lake | Douglas | A | 11.2 mi | 21 ft | 38 ft |
| 8 | Whiskey Lake | Douglas | A | 11.3 mi | 18.8 ft | 46 ft |
| 9 | Moses Lake | Douglas | A | 16 mi | 16.5 ft | 32 ft |
| 10 | Eagle Lake | Otter Tail | A | 24.8 mi | 22.6 ft | 46 ft |
| 11 | Stuart Lake | Otter Tail | A | 28.9 mi | 17.5 ft | 49 ft |
| 12 | Unnamed Lake | Otter Tail | A | 31 mi | 15.1 ft | 95 ft |
| 13 | Mons Lake | Todd | A | 32.2 mi | 15.4 ft | 80 ft |
| 14 | First Silver Lake | Otter Tail | A | 33 mi | - | 43 ft |
| 15 | Elbow Lake | Otter Tail | A | 33.3 mi | 18 ft | 46 ft |
| 16 | Pine Island Lake | Todd | A | 35.8 mi | 15.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 17 | Pine Lake | Morrison | A | 36 mi | 15.1 ft | 59 ft |
| 18 | Cedar Lake | Morrison | A | 36.3 mi | 16.2 ft | 88 ft |
| 19 | Burgen Lake | Douglas | A | 3.3 mi | 12 ft | 43 ft |
| 20 | Brophy Lake | Douglas | A | 3.5 mi | 15.4 ft | 44 ft |
| 21 | Louise Lake | Douglas | A | 3.5 mi | 14.5 ft | 33 ft |
| 22 | Andrew Lake | Douglas | A | 4.8 mi | 13.9 ft | 83 ft |
| 23 | Maple Lake | Douglas | A | 7.5 mi | 14.1 ft | 78 ft |
| 24 | Blackwell Lake | Douglas | A | 9.4 mi | 11.5 ft | 42 ft |
| 25 | Chippewa Lake | Douglas | A | 10.8 mi | 14.8 ft | 95 ft |
| 26 | Vermont Lake | Douglas | A | 13.8 mi | 14.1 ft | 59 ft |
| 27 | Signalness Lake | Pope | A | 24.8 mi | 10.7 ft | 14 ft |
| 28 | Little Birch Lake | Todd | A | 28.9 mi | 13 ft | 89 ft |
| 29 | Long Lake | Otter Tail | A | 29.1 mi | 12.1 ft | 88 ft |
| 30 | Clitherall Lake | Otter Tail | A | 29.3 mi | 14.1 ft | 69 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.