Best Lakes for Boating Near Des Moines
Iowa
18 boating lakes within driving distance of Des Moines, 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.
A moderate cluster of 18 measured lakes lies within reach of Des Moines. Dale Maffitt Reservoir has the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the set.
The boating-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 boating use case is less useful than a decent one that does.
| # | Lake | County | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dale Maffitt Reservoir | Dallas | 9.9 mi | 9.8 ft | - |
| 2 | Easter Lake | Polk | 4.5 mi | 2.9 ft | - |
| 3 | Hickory Grove Lake | Story | 31 mi | 3.6 ft | - |
| 4 | West Lake Osceola | Clarke | 38.9 mi | 2.2 ft | - |
| 5 | Three Mile Lake | Union | 46.9 mi | 2.7 ft | - |
| 6 | Big Creek Lake | Polk | 15.3 mi | 2.6 ft | - |
| 7 | Badger Creek Max Depth Lake | Madison | 16.9 mi | 1.6 ft | - |
| 8 | Roberts Creek Lake | Marion | 31.9 mi | 1.5 ft | - |
| 9 | Rock Creek Max Depth Lake | Jasper | 41.1 mi | 1.1 ft | - |
| 10 | Don Williams Lake | Boone | 41.6 mi | 1.8 ft | - |
| 11 | Morris Lake | Lucas | 44 mi | 1.6 ft | - |
| 12 | Twelve Mile Lake | Union | 49.1 mi | 2.4 ft | - |
| 13 | Lake Colechester | Warren | 6.7 mi | - | - |
| 14 | Saylorville Lake | Polk | 14.6 mi | - | - |
| 15 | Lake Red Rock | Marion | 31 mi | - | - |
| 16 | Bays Branch Lake | Guthrie | 37.2 mi | - | - |
| 17 | Rock Creek Beach Lake | Jasper | 41.3 mi | 1.1 ft | - |
| 18 | Lake Panorama | Guthrie | 43.8 mi | - | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.