Best Lakes for Boating Near Ely
Minnesota
30 boating lakes within driving distance of Ely, Minnesota, 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.
Ely sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade A. White Iron Lake (A) leads the cluster.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the letter grade in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White Iron Lake | Lake | A | 4.1 mi | 4.5 ft | 47 ft |
| 2 | Garden Lake | Lake | A | 6 mi | 5 ft | 55 ft |
| 3 | Burntside Lake | St. Louis | A | 6 mi | 16 ft | 126 ft |
| 4 | Farm Lake | Lake | A | 6.5 mi | 5.5 ft | 56 ft |
| 5 | Fenske Lake | St. Louis | A | 6.5 mi | 11.5 ft | 43 ft |
| 6 | Fall Lake | Lake | A | 6.7 mi | 5.5 ft | 32 ft |
| 7 | Bear Island Lake | St. Louis | A | 10.2 mi | 7 ft | 62 ft |
| 8 | Bear Head Lake | St. Louis | A | 12.9 mi | 11 ft | 46 ft |
| 9 | Big Lake | St. Louis | A | 13.7 mi | 8.2 ft | 22 ft |
| 10 | August Lake | Lake | A | 15.5 mi | 4.7 ft | 19 ft |
| 11 | Slate Lake | Lake | A | 18.2 mi | 4.4 ft | 7 ft |
| 12 | Middle Mcdougal Lake | Lake | A | 24.1 mi | 3.6 ft | 7 ft |
| 13 | Isabella Lake | Lake | A | 27.5 mi | 4.4 ft | 19 ft |
| 14 | Colby Lake | St. Louis | A | 29 mi | 3 ft | 30 ft |
| 15 | Sabin Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.2 mi | 2.1 ft | 52 ft |
| 16 | Whitewater Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.5 mi | 14 ft | 73 ft |
| 17 | Pine Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.8 mi | 7.5 ft | 14 ft |
| 18 | Wynne Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.9 mi | 7.3 ft | 52 ft |
| 19 | Dumbbell Lake | Lake | A | 34.2 mi | 14.8 ft | 40 ft |
| 20 | Silver Island Lake | Lake | A | 35.7 mi | 4.4 ft | 16 ft |
| 21 | Cadotte Lake | St. Louis | A | 36.2 mi | 10.2 ft | 18 ft |
| 22 | Windy Lake | Lake | A | 38.7 mi | 5.5 ft | 39 ft |
| 23 | Wilson Lake | Lake | A | 40 mi | 10.7 ft | 53 ft |
| 24 | Ninemile Lake | Lake | A | 42.9 mi | 6.6 ft | 40 ft |
| 25 | Ely Lake | St. Louis | A | 43 mi | 17.1 ft | 70 ft |
| 26 | Pleasant Lake | St. Louis | A | 45.2 mi | 10 ft | 33 ft |
| 27 | Sea Gull Lake | Cook | A | 47.5 mi | 14.3 ft | 40 ft |
| 28 | Round Lake | Cook | A | 49.1 mi | 16.5 ft | 45 ft |
| 29 | Stewart Lake | Lake | A | 49.8 mi | 10 ft | 20 ft |
| 30 | Eagles Nest Lake | St. Louis | B | 12 mi | 15.5 ft | 49 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.