What is the best kayaking lake near Appleton?

White Lake in Waupaca County is the top-ranked kayaking lake near Appleton on measured water quality (26.4 miles away).

How many lakes are near Appleton for kayaking?

30 lakes within driving distance of Appleton match the kayaking filters used on this page.

Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Appleton, WI

30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Appleton, Wisconsin, ranked by water quality and kayaking-specific filters. Filtered for favourable clarity and algae readings, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).

Within reasonable driving distance of Appleton sit 30 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.

Filtered for kayaking, the nearby-lake list narrows further. kayaking-specific signals, fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion, interact with the water-quality readings in different ways depending on the use case.

#	Lake	County	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	White Lake	Waupaca	26.4 mi	5.6 ft	10 ft
2	Bear Lake	Waupaca	28 mi	11 ft	62 ft
3	Wolf Lake	Fond du Lac	29.4 mi	5 ft	47 ft
4	Wilke Lake	Manitowoc	30.3 mi	7 ft	21 ft
5	Rush Lake	Winnebago	31 mi	3.2 ft	5 ft
6	Pine Lake	Shawano	31.9 mi	10.5 ft	35 ft
7	Long Lake	Shawano	32.1 mi	6 ft	35 ft
8	Grass Lake	Shawano	32.2 mi	8.5 ft	52 ft
9	School Section Lake	Waupaca	32.2 mi	6.5 ft	38 ft
10	Pigeon Lake	Manitowoc	33 mi	9.3 ft	62 ft
11	Cedar Lake	Manitowoc	33.2 mi	10.2 ft	21 ft
12	Shadow Lake	Waupaca	33.7 mi	12 ft	41 ft
13	Spencer Lake	Waupaca	34.1 mi	8.5 ft	53 ft
14	English Lake	Manitowoc	34.6 mi	7.5 ft	85 ft
15	Long Lake	Waushara	35 mi	14.5 ft	71 ft
16	Elkhart Lake	Sheboygan	35.9 mi	10.5 ft	119 ft
17	Taylor Lake	Waupaca	36.3 mi	10 ft	58 ft
18	De Neveu Lake	Fond du Lac	36.7 mi	11 ft	67 ft
19	Pearl Lake	Waushara	36.8 mi	19 ft	45 ft
20	Hartlaub Lake	Manitowoc	36.9 mi	5 ft	60 ft
21	Gilbert Lake	Waushara	37.5 mi	12 ft	65 ft
22	Kusel Lake	Waushara	37.7 mi	11.5 ft	29 ft
23	Columbia Lake	Waupaca	37.8 mi	11 ft	72 ft
24	Stratton Lake	Waupaca	38 mi	13 ft	42 ft
25	Long Lake	Waupaca	38.1 mi	13 ft	76 ft
26	Wilson Lake	Waushara	38.2 mi	6.2 ft	12 ft
27	Little Elkhart Lake	Sheboygan	38.3 mi	10 ft	25 ft
28	Silver Lake	Waupaca	38.4 mi	7 ft	17 ft
29	Hatch Lake	Waupaca	39.2 mi	8.4 ft	12 ft
30	Iola Lake	Waupaca	39.3 mi	10 ft	9 ft

Other activities near Appleton

Swimming near Appleton →Fishing near Appleton →Boating near Appleton →All lakes near Appleton →

Where to stay near Appleton

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Appleton — book a place close to the best-rated lakes in the area.

Top-rated places to stay near Appleton

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.