What is the best kayaking lake near Detroit Lakes?

Long Lake in Becker County is the top-ranked kayaking lake near Detroit Lakes on measured water quality (2.2 miles away).

How many lakes are near Detroit Lakes for kayaking?

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

Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Detroit Lakes, MN

30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 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).

Detroit Lakes sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade A. Long Lake (A) leads the cluster.

The kayaking-specific ranking layered on top of the letter grade is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the kayaking use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.

#	Lake	County	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	Long Lake	Becker	2.2 mi	19.5 ft	61 ft
2	Glawe Lake	Becker	3.1 mi	10.8 ft	24 ft
3	Sallie Lake	Becker	3.7 mi	13 ft	50 ft
4	Floyd Lake	Becker	3.8 mi	13.1 ft	34 ft
5	Little Floyd Lake	Becker	3.9 mi	11 ft	34 ft
6	Tamarac Lake	Becker	4.5 mi	6.9 ft	34 ft
7	Mud Lake	Becker	4.6 mi	12.5 ft	34 ft
8	Meadow Lake	Becker	4.6 mi	14 ft	72 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	Long Lake	Otter Tail	12 mi	12.3 ft	128 ft
21	Franklin Lake	Otter Tail	12.8 mi	13.1 ft	48 ft
22	East Loon Lake	Otter Tail	12.9 mi	13.5 ft	105 ft
23	Ida Lake	Becker	13 mi	12.1 ft	20 ft
24	Little Toad Lake	Becker	13.3 mi	15 ft	65 ft
25	Middle Cormorant Lake	Becker	13.4 mi	15.1 ft	40 ft
26	Sybil Lake	Otter Tail	13.4 mi	20 ft	74 ft
27	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	14.7 mi	16.4 ft	66 ft
28	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	15.7 mi	16.5 ft	42 ft
29	Turtle Lake	Becker	15.7 mi	23 ft	73 ft
30	Little Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	15.7 mi	26.5 ft	109 ft

Other activities near Detroit Lakes

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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

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.