Best Lakes for Boating Near Devils Lake
North Dakota
30 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.
Devils Lake sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 measured lakes within reach. Lake Alice carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the cluster.
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 | Lake Alice | Ramsey | 18.1 mi | 3.1 ft | - |
| 2 | Buffalo Lake | Pierce | 45.2 mi | 0.3 ft | - |
| 3 | Sweetwater Lake | Ramsey | 7.3 mi | - | - |
| 4 | Cavanaugh Lake | Ramsey | 10 mi | - | - |
| 5 | Spring Lake | Benson | 11.8 mi | - | - |
| 6 | Stone Lake | Ramsey | 13.1 mi | - | - |
| 7 | Twin Lakes | Benson | 14.9 mi | - | - |
| 8 | Mikes Lake | Ramsey | 15.5 mi | - | - |
| 9 | Elbow Lake | Benson | 16.1 mi | - | - |
| 10 | Chain Lake | Ramsey | 18.1 mi | - | - |
| 11 | Horseshoe Lake | Eddy | 18.6 mi | - | - |
| 12 | Silver Lake | Benson | 18.8 mi | - | - |
| 13 | Shin Bone Lake | Benson | 19 mi | - | - |
| 14 | Lake Murie | Benson | 19.3 mi | - | - |
| 15 | Long Lake | Benson | 19.8 mi | - | - |
| 16 | Swan Lake | Nelson | 21.2 mi | - | - |
| 17 | Stony Lake | Benson | 22.2 mi | - | - |
| 18 | Jones Lake | Nelson | 22.9 mi | - | - |
| 19 | Battle Lake | Eddy | 23.7 mi | - | - |
| 20 | North Washington Lake | Eddy | 25.7 mi | - | - |
| 21 | Lake Ibsen | Benson | 27.2 mi | - | - |
| 22 | Bakstad Lake | Eddy | 27.3 mi | - | - |
| 23 | South Washington Lake | Eddy | 28.1 mi | - | - |
| 24 | Medicine Lake | Eddy | 29.4 mi | - | - |
| 25 | Lake Coe | Eddy | 29.7 mi | - | - |
| 26 | Tolna Dam Lake | Nelson | 30.3 mi | 4.9 ft | - |
| 27 | Sheep Lake | Benson | 31.9 mi | - | - |
| 28 | Rose Lake | Nelson | 31.9 mi | - | - |
| 29 | Fish Lake | Benson | 32.1 mi | - | - |
| 30 | South Twin Lake | Eddy | 32.4 mi | - | - |
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Where to stay near Devils Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.