Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Duluth
Minnesota
20 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Duluth, 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).
Duluth sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 20 graded lakes within reach, average grade B. Big 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 | Big Lake | Carlton | 25.7 mi | 10 ft | 25 ft |
| 2 | Park Lake | Carlton | 28.5 mi | 7 ft | 16 ft |
| 3 | Nichols Lake | St. Louis | 29.7 mi | 5.1 ft | 31 ft |
| 4 | Stewart Lake | Lake | 32.2 mi | 10 ft | 20 ft |
| 5 | Murphy Lake | St. Louis | 40 mi | 6.4 ft | 24 ft |
| 6 | Amnicon Lake | Douglas | 21.2 mi | 5 ft | 31 ft |
| 7 | West Twin Lake | St. Louis | 23.2 mi | 6.2 ft | 18 ft |
| 8 | Lake Nebagamon | Douglas | 27 mi | 7 ft | 56 ft |
| 9 | Lake Minnesuing | Douglas | 27.5 mi | 6.2 ft | 43 ft |
| 10 | Half Moon Lake | Bayfield | 36.9 mi | 8 ft | 10 ft |
| 11 | Saint Croix Flowage Lake | Douglas | 38.1 mi | 10.5 ft | - |
| 12 | Long Lake | Bayfield | 38.5 mi | 16.2 ft | 28 ft |
| 13 | Elliot Lake | St. Louis | 39.7 mi | 6.2 ft | 13 ft |
| 14 | Sand Bar Lake | Bayfield | 39.7 mi | 19 ft | 49 ft |
| 15 | Hay Lake | Carlton | 21.6 mi | 6 ft | 14 ft |
| 16 | Leora Lake | St. Louis | 26.3 mi | 7 ft | 35 ft |
| 17 | Sand Lake | Carlton | 27.7 mi | 5 ft | 27 ft |
| 18 | Net Lake | Pine | 30.5 mi | 3 ft | 15 ft |
| 19 | Christianson Lake | Lake | 38.2 mi | 2 ft | 8 ft |
| 20 | Bladder Lake | Bayfield | 40 mi | 18 ft | 35 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.