Best Lakes for Boating Near Detroit Lakes
Minnesota
19 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.
A moderate cluster of 19 graded lakes lies within reach of Detroit Lakes, averaging a grade of B. Rose Lake (A) is the cleanest of the set.
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 | Rose Lake | Otter Tail | A | 11.1 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 2 | Pelican Lake | Otter Tail | A | 11.5 mi | 16.1 ft | - |
| 3 | Little Toad Lake | Becker | A | 13.3 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 4 | West Mcdonald Lake | Otter Tail | A | 17 mi | 16.2 ft | - |
| 5 | Round Lake | Becker | A | 20.6 mi | 10.8 ft | - |
| 6 | White Earth Lake | Becker | A | 22.3 mi | 14.5 ft | - |
| 7 | Many Point Lake | Becker | A | 22.8 mi | 10.7 ft | - |
| 8 | Little Bemidji Lake | Becker | A | 23.2 mi | 12.1 ft | - |
| 9 | Otter Tail Lake | Otter Tail | A | 30.4 mi | 12.1 ft | - |
| 10 | Blanche Lake | Otter Tail | A | 33.4 mi | 12.5 ft | - |
| 11 | Potato Lake | Hubbard | A | 39.8 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 12 | Long Lake | Hubbard | A | 40.7 mi | 11.2 ft | - |
| 13 | Mill Lake | Becker | B | 7 mi | 8.5 ft | - |
| 14 | Prairie Lake | Otter Tail | B | 18.5 mi | 8.9 ft | - |
| 15 | Straight Lake | Becker | B | 28.3 mi | 8 ft | - |
| 16 | Two Inlets Lake | Becker | B | 34 mi | 9.5 ft | - |
| 17 | Ten Mile Lake | Otter Tail | B | 48.3 mi | 13.6 ft | - |
| 18 | Little Pine Lake | Otter Tail | B | 19 mi | 9.5 ft | - |
| 19 | Big Pine Lake | Otter Tail | B | 21.5 mi | 7 ft | - |
Other activities near Detroit Lakes
Swimming near Detroit Lakes →Fishing near Detroit Lakes →Kayaking near Detroit Lakes →All lakes near Detroit Lakes →
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.