Best Lakes for Boating Near Cedar Rapids
Iowa
4 boating lakes within driving distance of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 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.
Lakes near Cedar Rapids are sparser (4 graded lakes within reach), so the choices are limited. Pleasant Creek Lake (D) is the standout.
The boating-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 boating use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pleasant Creek Lake | Linn | D | 12.6 mi | 3.6 ft | - |
| 2 | Lake Macbride | Johnson | D | 13.6 mi | 2.9 ft | - |
| 3 | Cedar Lake | Linn | F | 0.9 mi | 0.9 ft | - |
| 4 | Lake Belva Deer | Keokuk | F | 47.7 mi | 2.1 ft | - |
Other activities near Cedar Rapids
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.