Best Lakes for Boating Near Devils Lake
North Dakota
6 boating lakes within driving distance of Devils Lake, North Dakota, 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 6 graded lakes lies within reach of Devils Lake, averaging a grade of D. Devils Lake (D) 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 | Devils Lake | Ramsey | D | 4.7 mi | 5.2 ft | - |
| 2 | Lake Alice | Ramsey | D | 18.1 mi | 3.1 ft | - |
| 3 | Buffalo Lake | Pierce | F | 45.2 mi | 0.3 ft | - |
| 4 | Tolna Dam Lake | Nelson | NR | 30.3 mi | 4.9 ft | - |
| 5 | Whitman Dam Lake | Nelson | NR | 37.7 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 6 | Bisbee-Big Coulee Dam Lake | Towner | NR | 42.7 mi | 8 ft | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.