Best Lakes Near Des Moines, IA

44 lakes within 50 miles of Des Moines ranked by water quality grade.

Within reasonable driving distance of Des Moines sit 44 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is D.

The lakes below are sorted by composite LakeGrade rubric score. If you have a specific activity in mind — swimming, kayaking, ice-fishing, family-fishing — the activity-specific sub-pages will filter further.

Lakes Within 50 mi

Grade A Lakes

With Fish Data

Public Access

Lake	Distance	County	Grade	Depth
Terra Park Lake	6.6 mi	Polk	A	-
Dale Maffitt Reservoir	9.9 mi	Dallas	A	-
Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake	33.1 mi	Story	A	-
Mariposa Lake	36.6 mi	Jasper	B	-
Lake Petocka	12.6 mi	Polk	C	-
Thomas Mitchell Lake	13.1 mi	Polk	C	-
Green Castle Lake	46 mi	Marshall	C	-
Easter Lake	4.5 mi	Polk	D	-
Hooper Pond Lake	21.4 mi	Warren	D	-
Hickory Grove Lake	31 mi	Story	D	-
West Lake Osceola	38.9 mi	Clarke	D	-
Springbrook Lake	45.4 mi	Guthrie	D	-
Three Mile Lake	46.9 mi	Union	D	-
Nodaway Lake	49.6 mi	Adair	D	-
Grays Lake	1.4 mi	Polk	F	-
Fort des Moines Park Pond	4.9 mi	Polk	F	-
Blue Heron Lake	6 mi	Polk	F	-
Big Creek Lake	15.3 mi	Polk	F	-
Badger Creek Max Depth Lake	16.9 mi	Madison	F	-
Lake Ahquabi	20.3 mi	Warren	F	-
Cedar Lake	24.3 mi	Madison	F	-
Beaver Lake	30.6 mi	Dallas	F	-
Roberts Creek Lake	31.9 mi	Marion	F	-
East Lake Osceola	38.8 mi	Clarke	F	-
Williamson Pond Max Depth	40 mi	Lucas	F	-
Rock Creek Max Depth Lake	41.1 mi	Jasper	F	-
Don Williams Lake	41.6 mi	Boone	F	-
Ellis Lake	44 mi	Lucas	F	-
Morris Lake	44 mi	Lucas	F	-
Meadow Lake	44.3 mi	Adair	F	-
Red Haw Lake	44.5 mi	Lucas	F	-
Thayer Lake	45.3 mi	Union	F	-
Little Wall Lake	47 mi	Hamilton	F	-
Arbor Lake Max Depth	47.1 mi	Poweshiek	F	-
Spring Lake Max Depth	47.3 mi	Greene	F	-
Greenfield Lake	48.6 mi	Adair	F	-
Humeston Reservoir	49 mi	Wayne	F	-
Twelve Mile Lake	49.1 mi	Union	F	-
Lake Orient	50 mi	Adair	F	-
Big Creek Beach Lake	17.2 mi	Polk	NR	-
Lake Ahquabi Beach	20.6 mi	Warren	NR	-
Rock Creek Beach Lake	41.3 mi	Jasper	NR	-
Red Haw Beach Lake	44.4 mi	Lucas	NR	-
Springbrook Beach Lake	45.3 mi	Guthrie	NR	-

Top-Rated Lakes Near Des Moines

Terra Park Lake

6.6 mi · Polk County · Grade A

Dale Maffitt Reservoir

9.9 mi · Dallas County · Grade A

Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake

33.1 mi · Story County · Grade A

Mariposa Lake

36.6 mi · Jasper County · Grade B

Lake Petocka

12.6 mi · Polk County · Grade C

Thomas Mitchell Lake

13.1 mi · Polk County · Grade C

Plan a lake trip in Iowa

The State of Iowa's Lakes

Iowa's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked A–F

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Iowa Lake Trips

Where to stay at Iowa's top lakes, each with its grade

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes are near Des Moines?

There are 44 graded lakes within 50 miles of Des Moines, Iowa. 3 of these have an A water quality grade (excellent).

What are the best lakes near Des Moines for fishing?

0 lakes near Des Moines have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine good water quality grades with diverse fish populations. 0 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.

Where to stay near Des Moines

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

Top-rated places to stay near Des Moines

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip to Des Moines?

Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Des Moines — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.