Best Lakes for Boating Near Appleton
Wisconsin
30 boating lakes within driving distance of Appleton, Wisconsin, ranked by water quality and boating-specific filters. Filtered for at least 100 acres and public access. The largest lakes with boat-worthy water are listed first.
Appleton sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade B. Green Lake (A) leads the cluster.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the letter grade in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Green Lake | Green Lake | A | 42.5 mi | 13.5 ft | 236 ft |
| 2 | White Lake | Waupaca | B | 26.4 mi | 5.6 ft | 10 ft |
| 3 | Bear Lake | Waupaca | B | 28 mi | 11 ft | 62 ft |
| 4 | Rush Lake | Winnebago | B | 31 mi | 3.2 ft | 5 ft |
| 5 | Pine Lake | Shawano | B | 31.9 mi | 10.5 ft | 35 ft |
| 6 | Cedar Lake | Manitowoc | B | 33.2 mi | 10.2 ft | 21 ft |
| 7 | Long Lake | Waushara | B | 35 mi | 14.5 ft | 71 ft |
| 8 | Elkhart Lake | Sheboygan | B | 35.9 mi | 10.5 ft | 119 ft |
| 9 | Pearl Lake | Waushara | B | 36.8 mi | 19 ft | 45 ft |
| 10 | Gilbert Lake | Waushara | B | 37.5 mi | 12 ft | 65 ft |
| 11 | Long Lake | Waupaca | B | 38.1 mi | 13 ft | 76 ft |
| 12 | Hatch Lake | Waupaca | B | 39.2 mi | 8.4 ft | 12 ft |
| 13 | Iola Lake | Waupaca | B | 39.3 mi | 10 ft | 9 ft |
| 14 | Silver Lake | Waushara | B | 39.7 mi | 10.2 ft | 50 ft |
| 15 | Loon Lake | Shawano | B | 39.9 mi | 5.5 ft | 22 ft |
| 16 | Lake Morris | Waushara | B | 40.4 mi | 11 ft | 40 ft |
| 17 | Long Lake | Fond du Lac | B | 42.6 mi | 9.1 ft | 47 ft |
| 18 | Kettle Moraine Lake | Fond du Lac | B | 43.3 mi | 11 ft | 30 ft |
| 19 | Berry Lake | Oconto | B | 43.5 mi | 7.5 ft | 27 ft |
| 20 | Moshawquit Lake | Menominee | B | 44 mi | 9 ft | 30 ft |
| 21 | La Motte Lake | Menominee | B | 44 mi | 16.8 ft | 71 ft |
| 22 | White River Flowage Lake | Waushara | B | 44.6 mi | 9.3 ft | 20 ft |
| 23 | Legend Lake | Menominee | B | 44.7 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 24 | Lake Ellen | Sheboygan | B | 47 mi | 9 ft | 42 ft |
| 25 | Lake Emily | Portage | B | 47.7 mi | 11 ft | 35 ft |
| 26 | Tuttle Lake | Marquette | B | 49.2 mi | 11.5 ft | 33 ft |
| 27 | White Clay Lake | Shawano | C | 37.3 mi | 5 ft | 46 ft |
| 28 | Shawano Lake | Shawano | C | 38.1 mi | 5.9 ft | 39.5 ft |
| 29 | Machickanee Flowage Lake | Oconto | C | 44.2 mi | 3 ft | 21 ft |
| 30 | Upper Red Lake | Shawano | C | 45.6 mi | 7.5 ft | 15 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.