Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Bemidji
Minnesota
9 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Bemidji, 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).
A moderate cluster of 9 graded lakes lies within reach of Bemidji, averaging a grade of B. Stump Lake (A) is the cleanest of the set.
Filtered for kayaking, the nearby-lake list narrows further. kayaking-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stump Lake | Beltrami | A | 6 mi | 12.5 ft | - |
| 2 | Movil Lake | Beltrami | A | 8.2 mi | 14 ft | - |
| 3 | Beltrami Lake | Beltrami | A | 8.8 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 4 | Fox Lake | Beltrami | A | 9.6 mi | 11.2 ft | - |
| 5 | Clearwater Lake | Clearwater | A | 23.7 mi | 10.3 ft | - |
| 6 | Potato Lake | Hubbard | A | 33.4 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 7 | Long Lake | Hubbard | A | 39.7 mi | 11.2 ft | - |
| 8 | Sugar Lake | Itasca | B | 26.4 mi | 7 ft | - |
| 9 | Two Inlets Lake | Becker | B | 33.8 mi | 9.5 ft | - |
Other activities near Bemidji
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.