Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Chicago
Illinois
3 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Chicago, Illinois, 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).
Lakes near Chicago are sparser (3 measured lakes within reach), so the choices are limited. Long Lake carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of them.
The kayaking-specific ranking layered on top of the readings is what produces the list below: a lake with clean readings that does not also support the kayaking use case is less useful than a decent one that does.
| # | Lake | County | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Lake | Porter | 38.7 mi | - | - |
| 2 | Flint Lake | Porter | 39.4 mi | - | - |
| 3 | Loomis Lake | Porter | 38.7 mi | - | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.