What is the best boating lake near Detroit Lakes?

Detroit Lake in Becker County is the top-ranked boating lake near Detroit Lakes on measured water quality (1.8 miles away).

How many lakes are near Detroit Lakes for boating?

30 lakes within driving distance of Detroit Lakes match the boating filters used on this page.

Best Lakes for Boating Near Detroit Lakes, MN

30 boating lakes within driving distance of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 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.

Within reasonable driving distance of Detroit Lakes sit 30 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.

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	Detroit Lake	Becker	1.8 mi	14 ft	89 ft
2	Long Lake	Becker	2.2 mi	19.5 ft	61 ft
3	Glawe Lake	Becker	3.1 mi	10.8 ft	24 ft
4	Sallie Lake	Becker	3.7 mi	13 ft	50 ft
5	Floyd Lake	Becker	3.8 mi	13.1 ft	34 ft
6	Little Floyd Lake	Becker	3.9 mi	11 ft	34 ft
7	Tamarac Lake	Becker	4.5 mi	6.9 ft	34 ft
8	Mud Lake	Becker	4.6 mi	12.5 ft	34 ft
9	Pearl Lake	Becker	5.4 mi	10 ft	54 ft
10	Melissa Lake	Becker	5.7 mi	13.1 ft	37 ft
11	Pickerel Lake	Becker	6.6 mi	18 ft	74 ft
12	Mill Lake	Becker	7 mi	8.5 ft	10 ft
13	Maud Lake	Becker	8 mi	17 ft	32 ft
14	Six Lake	Otter Tail	8 mi	21 ft	140 ft
15	Eunice Lake	Becker	8.1 mi	13.5 ft	30 ft
16	Trowbridge Lake	Otter Tail	9.1 mi	13.5 ft	76 ft
17	Little Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	9.1 mi	11.5 ft	25 ft
18	Scalp Lake	Otter Tail	9.3 mi	20 ft	90 ft
19	Wimer Lake	Otter Tail	10 mi	10.2 ft	58 ft
20	Big Cormorant Lake	Becker	10.5 mi	24.8 ft	75 ft
21	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	11.5 mi	16.4 ft	55 ft
22	Long Lake	Otter Tail	12 mi	12.3 ft	128 ft
23	Franklin Lake	Otter Tail	12.8 mi	13.1 ft	48 ft
24	East Loon Lake	Otter Tail	12.9 mi	13.5 ft	105 ft
25	Ida Lake	Becker	13 mi	12.1 ft	20 ft
26	Little Toad Lake	Becker	13.3 mi	15 ft	65 ft
27	Middle Cormorant Lake	Becker	13.4 mi	15.1 ft	40 ft
28	Sybil Lake	Otter Tail	13.4 mi	20 ft	74 ft
29	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	14.7 mi	16.4 ft	66 ft
30	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	15.7 mi	16.5 ft	42 ft

Other activities near Detroit Lakes

Swimming near Detroit Lakes →Fishing near Detroit Lakes →Kayaking near Detroit Lakes →All lakes near Detroit Lakes →

Where to stay near Detroit Lakes

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

Top-rated places to stay near Detroit Lakes

Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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 Detroit Lakes?

Get lake water-quality updates plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Detroit Lakes — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.