Best Lakes for Swimming Near Brainerd
Minnesota
30 swimming lakes within driving distance of Brainerd, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and swimming-specific filters. Filtered for grade A or B water quality, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
Brainerd sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade A. Perch Lake (A) leads the cluster.
The swimming-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 swimming use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perch Lake | Crow Wing | A | 3.3 mi | 16 ft | - |
| 2 | Sorenson Lake | Crow Wing | A | 7.1 mi | 16.1 ft | - |
| 3 | Little Hubert Lake | Crow Wing | A | 8.3 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 4 | Hubert Lake | Crow Wing | A | 9.1 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 5 | Sylvan Lake | Cass | A | 9.6 mi | 19.8 ft | - |
| 6 | Silver Lake | Crow Wing | A | 11.1 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 7 | Edward Lake | Crow Wing | A | 11.2 mi | 15.5 ft | - |
| 8 | Lougee Lake | Crow Wing | A | 13.2 mi | 16 ft | - |
| 9 | Pillager Lake | Cass | A | 13.2 mi | 15.1 ft | - |
| 10 | Lower Cullen Lake | Crow Wing | A | 13.4 mi | 17.4 ft | - |
| 11 | Edna Lake | Crow Wing | A | 13.4 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 12 | Little Pelican Lake | Crow Wing | A | 13.8 mi | 17.4 ft | - |
| 13 | Bonnie Lake | Crow Wing | A | 14 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 14 | West Twin Lake | Crow Wing | A | 14.4 mi | 19.8 ft | - |
| 15 | Crooked Lake | Crow Wing | A | 14.4 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 16 | East Twin Lake | Crow Wing | A | 14.5 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 17 | Serpent Lake | Crow Wing | A | 15 mi | 25 ft | - |
| 18 | Placid Lake | Crow Wing | A | 15.8 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 19 | Bay Lake | Crow Wing | A | 16.5 mi | 19 ft | - |
| 20 | Island Lake | Crow Wing | A | 16.6 mi | - | - |
| 21 | Partridge Lake | Crow Wing | A | 17.4 mi | 16.2 ft | - |
| 22 | Hamlet Lake | Crow Wing | A | 17.4 mi | 18.5 ft | - |
| 23 | Knieff Lake | Crow Wing | A | 17.6 mi | 19 ft | - |
| 24 | Alexander Lake | Morrison | A | 19.3 mi | 16.5 ft | - |
| 25 | Ossawinnamakee Lake | Crow Wing | A | 19.6 mi | 20 ft | - |
| 26 | Clear Lake | Crow Wing | A | 19.9 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 27 | Big Pine Lake | Aitkin | A | 20.3 mi | 16.5 ft | - |
| 28 | Kimball Lake | Crow Wing | A | 20.4 mi | 17.4 ft | - |
| 29 | Bass Lake | Crow Wing | A | 20.7 mi | 16.1 ft | - |
| 30 | Little Star Lake | Crow Wing | A | 20.7 mi | 18.5 ft | - |
Other activities near Brainerd
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.