Best Lakes for Boating Near Detroit
Michigan
10 boating lakes within driving distance of Detroit, Michigan, 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 10 graded lakes lies within reach of Detroit, averaging a grade of A. Lakeville Lake Central Basin (A) is the cleanest of the set.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lakeville Lake Central Basin | Oakland | A | 34.8 mi | 9.5 ft | - |
| 2 | Wormer Lake | Oakland | NR | 29.1 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 3 | Mohawk Lake | Oakland | NR | 29.1 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 4 | Cedar Island Lake | Oakland | NR | 30.3 mi | 10.5 ft | - |
| 5 | Oxbow Lake | Oakland | NR | 31.1 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 6 | Lake Orion | Oakland | NR | 32.6 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 7 | Lakeville Lake | Oakland | NR | 34.9 mi | 8.8 ft | - |
| 8 | Whitmore Lake | Livingston | NR | 36.7 mi | 9 ft | - |
| 9 | Lake Lapeer Central Basin; Elba Township | Lapeer | NR | 47.1 mi | 3 ft | - |
| 10 | Lake Lapeer | Lapeer | NR | 47.2 mi | 3.5 ft | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.