Best Lakes for Swimming Near Duluth
Minnesota
30 swimming lakes within driving distance of Duluth, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and swimming-specific filters. Filtered for grade A or B water quality, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
Duluth sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade B. Superior Lake (A) leads the cluster.
The swimming-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 swimming use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Superior Lake | St. Louis | A | 3.3 mi | - | - |
| 2 | Suseq32a Lake | St. Louis | A | 5.1 mi | - | - |
| 3 | Seq032a Lake | St. Louis | A | 5.1 mi | - | - |
| 4 | Lk Superior 3.3 Mi E of Superior Lake | Douglas | A | 9.4 mi | - | - |
| 5 | Pike Lake | St. Louis | A | 11 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 6 | Sunshine Lake | St. Louis | A | 13.3 mi | 20 ft | - |
| 7 | Schultz Lake | St. Louis | A | 14.4 mi | 15.5 ft | - |
| 8 | Lk Superior .09 Mi N of Poplar Creek Mouth Lake | Douglas | A | 15.7 mi | - | - |
| 9 | Su22b Lake | Douglas | A | 16.6 mi | - | - |
| 10 | Smith Lake | St. Louis | A | 26.8 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 11 | Rose Lake | St. Louis | A | 26.8 mi | - | - |
| 12 | Joe Martin Lake | St. Louis | A | 28.3 mi | 14.5 ft | - |
| 13 | Dodo Lake | St. Louis | A | 26.4 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 14 | Third Lake | Carlton | B | 19.7 mi | 8.5 ft | - |
| 15 | Pat Martin Lake | Carlton | B | 21.1 mi | 6.6 ft | - |
| 16 | Big Lake | Carlton | B | 25.7 mi | 9.1 ft | - |
| 17 | Caribou Lake | St. Louis | B | 12.5 mi | 10.5 ft | - |
| 18 | Lk Superior Lake | Douglas | B | 13.1 mi | - | - |
| 19 | Lk Superior .05 Mi N of Pearson Creek Mouth Lake | Douglas | B | 18.3 mi | - | - |
| 20 | Chub Lake | Carlton | B | 20.5 mi | 13.3 ft | - |
| 21 | Lake Nebagamon | Douglas | B | 27 mi | 7 ft | - |
| 22 | Lac Lake | Carlton | B | 28.3 mi | 9.5 ft | - |
| 23 | Park Lake | Carlton | B | 28.5 mi | 7 ft | - |
| 24 | Aerie Lake | St. Louis | B | 29.4 mi | 11.5 ft | - |
| 25 | Loon Lake | St. Louis | B | 29.6 mi | 6.6 ft | - |
| 26 | West Twin Lake | St. Louis | B | 23.2 mi | 6.2 ft | - |
| 27 | Lost Lake | St. Louis | B | 26.2 mi | 5.8 ft | - |
| 28 | Sofie Lake | Carlton | B | 26.5 mi | 4.9 ft | - |
| 29 | Twin Lake | St. Louis | B | 15 mi | 3.6 ft | - |
| 30 | Lake Minnesuing | Douglas | B | 27.5 mi | 6.2 ft | - |
Other activities near Duluth
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.